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Roethlisberger Talking Retirement Again

Photo courtesy of the Pittsburgh Steelers

When Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger started talking about retirement after his team’s 36-12 beatdown in the AFC Championship Game against the hated New England Patriots, I scoffed. I told you not to worry about it. It was no time to panic. It was just the deflating loss talking.

But now, here as training camp begins for the 2017 regular season, Big Ben is again speculating about hanging up his cleats after the season. So, yeah, Steelers nation. Now is the time the panic.

Roethlisberger was asked Friday about retirement in an interview with the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Big Ben wasn’t shy about sharing his feelings.

“It’s just, it’s 14 years; that’s a long time,” Roethlisberger said. “I think the average life expectancy in the NFL is 3 years, maybe 3.5 now. I’ve been blessed to do this a long time. I think it’s just seeing my kids growing up, and in the off-season I love getting to spend time with them, and then I come here and football season just has to take up so much of your time. Even when you get home, I try my best to turn it off when I walk in the front door. I think I do a pretty good job of that, but it still consumes you in a way. Just all those things combined, being healthy, being able to play catch with my kids. I feel good mentally, I know this new study that came out that 90 percent (of NFL) players’ brains who were studied had CTE. There’s a lot of scary things, and I think my wife would be OK if I hung it up, too. But I still love the guys, I still love the game, so it was right for me to come back and give it everything I have this year.”

What does that mean? What’s this “this year” talk?

It means the Steelers better hope they hit a home run when they picked Joshua Dobbs out of Tennessee in April’s draft. They need to look at drafting a guy high next season too. Since Pittsburgh never trades up and will likely pick in the late 20s again and a first round guy just might not be there. Landry Jones certainly isn’t the answer unless the question is, “How can the Steelers secure the No. 1 pick for the 2019 NFL Draft?”

Roethlisberger’s recurrent health issues kept him from playing a full 16 game season last year. He started 14 games and completed 64.4 percent of his passes for 3,819 yards, 29 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Alejandro Villanueva gets extension

Roethlisberger can at least count on good protection if he does come back next season. The Steelers and offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva agreed to a four-year, $24 million extension Villanueva has started at left tackle for most of the last two seasons and in every game last year.

Villanueva is a real coaching success story, especially to end up at left tackle, one of the most important positions in the sport. He was a former Army Ranger and a Bronze Star recipient who signed as a defensive end with the Philadelphia Eagles after three tours in Afghanistan. When the Steelers picked him up later that same year, they converted him to offensive tackle and he’s protected Roethlisberger’s blind side ever since.

Cowboys can’t stay out of the news

Good or bad, the Dallas Cowboys are just going to keep showing up in the newsfeed. For their sake, we’ll start with the good.

To bolster their depth at running back, the Cowboys signed former Denver Broncos running back Ronnie Hillman this week. Hillman instantly plugs into the depth chart as the No. 4 back behind Ezekiel Elliott, Alfred Morris and Darren McFadden. Hillman bounced around two teams last season, the Minnesota Vikings and San Diego Chargers, carrying the ball 41 times for 131 yards and adding seven catches for 93 yards. Financial and length details of Hillman’s deal were not disclosed.

Hillman’s best season was 2015 with the Broncos where he started 11 games, played in all 16 and had 207 carries for 863 yards, averaged 4.2 yards per carry and scored seven touchdowns. Hillman added 24 receptions for 111 yards that season.

The Cowboys also added a new quarterback in former New Orleans Saints back up Luke McCown on a one-year, $250,000 contract. McCown will compete with Kellen Moore and rookie Cooper Rush to back up starter Dak Prescott. McCown began his career with the Cleveland Browns and floated around the southeastern United States after that with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Jacksonville Jaguars, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints.

McCown has made 10 starts in his career, including one last season. His career completion percentage is 60.7 with 2,370 yards, nine touchdowns and 15 interceptions.

Now for the bad news. The Cowboys got word on a suspension Friday and it’s not Ezekiel Elliott. Instead, Dallas will lose another defensive lineman, this time defensive end Damontre Moore for two games for violating the NFL Policy and Program for Substances Abuse.

The suspension stems from a DUI arres back in December when Moore was a member of the Seattle Seahawks. The Cowboys were aware of a potential when they signed him, but are so desperate for defenders, especially up front, they’ll take anything.

Last season with the Seahawks Moore had seven tackles and 0.5 sacks.

Davis finally signs with Titans

The last of the absent first round rookies finally signed his deal. Tennessee Titans wide receiver Corey Davis finalized his contract with the team Saturday.

“I know he (Davis) wants to be out here with his teammates and I’m glad it’s done,” Titans coach Mike Mularkey said.”He didn’t very much time. …he’s a guy I know who’s been studying and doing some things every day he’s not been here. I know he’ll come in here prepared and not miss a beat.”

The Titans drafted Davis No. 5 overall in April’s NFL Draft. Davis was a four-year stater at Western Michigan. His senior season he caught 97 passes for 1,500 yards and 19 touchdowns. Davis had 1,408 or more yards and 12 or more touchdowns each of the last three seasons with the Broncos. Davis was the first wideout taken in this year’s draft.

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Written by Adam Greene

Adam Greene is a writer and photographer based out of East Tennessee. His work has appeared on Cracked.com, in USA Today, the Associated Press, the Chicago Cubs Vineline Magazine, AskMen.com and many other publications.

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