From the beginning, Ben Roethlisberger's post-retirement podcast has been something different in the world of football punditry because it's honest.
Where TV analysts pull punches to avoid offending individuals and fan bases, the Steelers' future Hall of Fame signal caller has shot from the hip in talking about the NFL and his former team.
That was especially true Sunday night when he welcomed his replacement to the podcast for the first time. In a nearly two-hour conversation, Roethlisberger and Kenny Pickett broke down the latter's rookie season, from getting drafted by the Steelers to replacing Mitch Trubisky at midseason.
The most compelling segment came at the end, as Roethlisberger spoke frankly about how he felt watching a rookie take over the offense he'd so ably guided for nearly two decades before calling it a career at the end of the 2021 season.
"I'll be completely honest," he said. "I'll be super transparent here and I'm probably going to get blasted. I probably shouldn't say this. But I mean, who cares at this point? I wouldn't say that I wanted Kenny to necessarily fail. But, like, you know when someone comes to replace you — and I still felt like I had it — I hope he doesn't come, like, ball out. Because then it's like, 'Ben, who?' Right? But honestly, as I think you started playing, I found myself rooting more and more for you.
"I think you're the future of this team. I really do. I think the fans are lucky they got you. But that's what I'm going to say. Early on, I didn't want him to succeed because he followed me up. I didn't want it to happen. I think that's probably the selfishness of me. And I feel bad for it. But as the season went on after like the third game playing, I was rooting for him."
Refreshing candor from a guy who made it known publicly his belief that he could have played another season. And who famously bristled when the team drafted Mason Rudolph, thought at the time to be a potential successor to Roethlisberger. He didn't run from those comments Sunday, choosing instead to take listeners through his genuine emotions, to their benefit. And praising Pickett for winning him over by doing the big things — winning games — and the little things, like showing his feistiness by scrapping with the Bills in Buffalo.
There was plenty for Steelers junkies to chew on before that highlight, as well. Topics addressed included Pickett's on-stage appearance with country star Luke Combs a couple of weeks ago, during which he chugged a beer to the delight of the Acrisure Stadium crowd; Pickett's pending nuptials; and his exposure to the Steelers during his career at Pitt.
Notably, the relationship with backup Mitch Trubisky, who started last season ahead of Pickett on the depth chart, was also broached. Roethlisberger recalled the help he got from veterans including Tommy Maddox, Brian St. Pierre and Charlie Batch as he adapted to the league. And Pickett seemed to hold Trubisky in similarly high regard.
"He was like an extra coach for me, honestly," Pickett said. "Being in the league for how long he has been in it, being able to ask him questions and be like, 'Hey, where do you start with your eyes here? And your experience with this concept. How does this work for you? Do you like it? Do you not like it?' ... He's seen other teams. He's been around these defensive coordinators a decent amount of time. He was awesome, man. Mason, as well.
"Just having two guys who've been in it and are open to answering my questions and kind of just being able to have to soundboard off of and have been in my shoes and obviously done it for a long time, I can't thank those guys enough. Extremely grateful for the quarterback room that we have."
Pickett credited coach Mike Tomlin for being clear in his communication as the offense transitioned from Trubisky to Pickett in Week 4 against the New York Jets, then back to Trubisky after Pickett was injured against Tampa Bay on Oct. 16, then back to Pickett again the following week in Miami. That helped keep the quarterback room steady during what otherwise could have been a chaotic period.
Other highlights of the conversation included Pickett dismissing criticism of his hand size during the draft process — "At some point, when they run it into the ground so much, you just kind of get numb to it," he said — Roethlisberger getting Pickett's thoughts on taking a leadership role with a young offense, something Roethlisberger didn't have to deal with as he took over a veteran unit; and Pickett's mentality toward his game-winning drives in 2022, the same type of drives Roethlisberger relished during his career.
"You'd much rather have the ball," Pickett said. "You're not nervous. There's a calming presence about it almost. Like, you're so locked in to what you have to go out there to do. I always focus on getting that first completion and then just getting it rolling."
You can watch the full conversation between the two quarterbacks below.
