Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should come as no surprise that his longtime center Maurkice Pouncey wants to retire. Based on the conversation they shared after the embarrassing loss of the Cleveland Browns, Pouncey’s mind had already been determined.
Shortly after the game, there were reports that Pouncey did intend to retire. Only Big Ben doesn’t want him to shut it down yet, and the center hasn’t made any announcements. What seems to support it is Roethlisberger. On Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, it is important for Ben that Maurkice is Steeler in 2021.
Roethlisberger isn’t wrong when he wants to tell Pouncey – ahem, his face. The quarterback-center relationship both on and off the field is essential to the success of the crime, and Ben has known and trusted Pouncey for over a decade.
But Pittsburgh needs the absolute best players next season if they expect to have another shot in the ring, while Roethlisberger is still at the helm. Pouncey’s last two seasons don’t call for “the absolute best.” It was one of the best centers in the senior league, but its production decreased significantly between pre-2019 and the following years. The NFL has been talking about what you’ve-done-for-me lately, and with Maurkice, it’s not enough. If Pouncey returns to the Steelers because of Big Ben and not for himself, it could be a disaster.
Draw a solid rookie center in the first round, as the Steelers did with Pouncey in 2010, and continue the youth movement along the line that began with goalie Kevin Dotson. Restructuring Line O will be at least a two-project process – it might as well start now.
And it could be said that once the “word-r” is uttered, it is difficult not to be mentally verified. Pouncey has been checked for some time now. If his heart isn’t, which his production showed, it’s better for the Steelers to tell him. Roethlisberger will just have to deal with this – which may not be very nice.