Retirement is something that has seen Ben Roethlisberger talking about NFL players.
However, his latest comments didn’t go over too well with former Pittsburgh Steelers teammate Cameron Heyward.
With the two having different viewpoints of NFL players, we would see both voicing their opinion to the world.
But what is Big Ben saying that Heyward took offense to when talking about NFL players?
Big Ben Feels Players Are All About Themselves Now
In an interview recently with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Big Ben expressed his feelings about the current state of NFL players.
Ben Roethlisberger on NFL: “I feel like the game has changed. I feel like the people have changed in a sense. Maybe it’s because I got spoiled when I came in. The team was so important. It was all about the team. Now, it’s about me and this, that and the other." #Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) July 22, 2022
He feels teammates have gone from being about the team to being about themselves.
However, he wouldn’t name anyone when expressing these opinions on players.
But that didn’t stop Heyward from stepping in and defending his former teammates.
On his pod, Cam Heyward rebutted Ben Roethlisberger’s comments on an influx of “me-first” players
“when it all comes together, we care about one thing, this logo right here. … I've always tried to extend that to my younger teammates. I think Ben was a little out on that one." pic.twitter.com/2QtMr6C6f7
— Brooke Pryor (@bepryor) July 27, 2022
Now Heyward made it clear he wasn’t calling out Ben, but he also made things clear about how players in Pittsburgh were all about the team.
However, both sides make significant points for their case on NFL players.
While there could be an air of teamwork in Pittsburgh, other players outside of the Steel City might not be the same.
Also, there could be players that Ben had issues with that Heyward never knew about while playing in Pittsburgh.
But that would require Ben to spill the beans on who exactly he was talking about when saying players are about themselves.
Heyward Would Offer Antonio Brown As A Team Player
While it’s understandable Heyward would want to protect his teammates, one person he would name was a little out there.
In his list of “team-first” players, Heyward named Antonio Brown.
I love both players & won’t take sides on the matter because I haven’t heard Ben’s full interview. What I gathered in the snips, Ben was referring to the NFL as a whole, not the Steelers.
I will say this to Cam though…referring to Antonio Brown as a “team-first player” is insane— Joseph Money (@JosephMoney73) July 27, 2022
The actions of Brown through his career haven’t given many NFL fans a reason to believe he’s a “team-first” kind of guy.
However, it didn’t stop Heyward from dropping his name in with a group of other Steelers players.
That could be where he loses the argument in this one.
While it’s noble of him to make sure everyone knows Ben never won those games on his own, defending someone known for causing issues with his team hurts him.
But is the former Steelers QB right on his statements about NFL players?
Some NFL Players Show They Are About Themselves
The past couple of seasons have shown NFL players that are selfish.
Aaron Rodgers has been one of those players who was called selfish by NFL fans.
Brown is another one with his walking out on his team mid-game.
One of the most unprofessional/selfish players in @NFL history. Good bye. pic.twitter.com/ZKkZPWRHXQ
— Nancy Lane (@localmediarocks) January 3, 2022
So it’s easy to see cases of players in the NFL that are selfish.
While some cases have hurt their team, with others it comes down to money.
When it’s about business, it’s understandable to be a little selfish.
However, players like Tom Brady have never been selfish about money from their team.
While selfishness exists in the NFL, it’s about how it affects the team.
It’s when things cross that line that teams should be worried about the selfishness.
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