Sometimes, when an NFL team goes 8-8 its fans call the campaign successful and believe they can use it to propel themselves further when the next season rolls around. However, when you are expected to be great every season like the Pittsburgh Steelers are, that luxury goes flying right out of the window.
The Steelers media also has been spoiled by excellent teams throughout the last decade, so the 2013 club can ill-afford to be another disappointment.
Either way, Ben Roethlisberger went under the knife on Wednesday to hopefully nullify the discomfort that the Pittsburgh quarterback felt for most of the 2012 campaign. Although head coach Mike Tomlin said the surgery ”will have no long-term effects,” a team never enjoys its star being on an operating table before the month of July even hits. With that being said, if this measure can insure that No. 7 is on the field when it counts then the surgery will surely be worth it.
That tough, gritty and tower-like presence that earned Big Ben his nickname is starting to diminish as the two-time Super Bowl champ has missed eight games in just the last three years alone.
The rubber is going to hit the road if the Steelers don’t restructure Roethlisberger’s contract because he is currently a free agent after the 2015 season. Luckily, the QB has a few years to prove his health, but at age 31 it’s only going to get tougher. Hopefully the injury bug shies away from Pittsburgh and Roethlisberger in particular in 2013 considering the depth issues that the organization is already dealing with.
