Ben Roethlisberger Closing In On Terry Bradshaw’s Steelers Passing Record
By Josh Sanchez
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is closing in on a franchise record in his ninth season with the team. Roethlisberger is closing in on the Steelers all-time passing record that was set by Pittsburgh legend Terry Bradshaw during his fourteen career with the team.
Roethlisberger faces off against the Tennessee Titans on Thursday Night Football and needs 300 yards to break the all-time Steelers passing record of 27,989 passing yards. Roethlisberger will have a very good shot at breaking the record this week as he has his full arsenal of weapons against the Titans 25th ranked pass defense.
Big Ben knows he is closing in on the record books and sees it as an honor to be in the same breath as a great like Bradshaw.
“It’s an awesome honor, you know?” Roethlisberger said, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette. “Shoot, a storied franchise and he’s The Guy, the face of this. I know there’s a lot of ’70s Steelers, but, when you’re talking about quarterbacks and offense and stuff, he’s the guy.
“To have an opportunity to break another record — and this one is a pretty big one.”
Roethlisberger and Bradshaw are linked as two of the greatest quarterbacks in Steelers’ history but the two have a sour relationship. Bradshaw has been openly critical of Roethlisberger during his time in Pittsburgh and never holds back when sounding off as an analyst on FOX.
In this case, it’s one of the times that Roethlisberger has taken the high road.
“We haven’t talked,” Roethlisberger said. “I’ve never had an issue [with him]. He said a bunch of things in the past about me; it hurts a little bit when you think about family, but I’ve never been one to say anything to him or at him.”
It would be good for the Steelers if Roethlisberger and Bradshaw can get on the same page and put their beef behind them. They will forever be looked at by Steelers fans as the best signal-callers to put on a black and gold jersey so perhaps they can use this record and moment as a time to move forward in a positive light.