Former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Ryan Shazier has watched from afar during the last two seasons but his thoughts on Ben Roethlisberger remain clear.
During an appearance on CBS Sports' Tiki and Tierney Show, Shazier mentioned that he believes Roethlisberger should hang up his cleats following the season.
"Sometimes the game will tell you when it's time. And I love Ben, but I think next year may be time for him to step away from the game," Shazier said. "Ben has been known for being one of those types of quarterbacks who is really tough to bring down, extend the plays, allow his team to make big plays because of how much of an athlete he was. He knew how to change the game. And I feel he's losing a lot of that."
Shazier, who's career tragically ended after a spinal injury in 2017, said it's hard to walk away from the game but believes it's time for the Steelers quarterback.
"When you can't play the way you want to play, it gets tough," Shazier said. "And sometimes, the game will allow you to leave on your own terms, or the game will tell you when it's time to leave. And I think it might be getting to that time for Ben to step away."
So, who will replace Roethlisberger after he's gone? Shazier has some ideas.
"If Ben does step away, there's two huge players on the market that Pittsburgh's going to be pushing for - one of them is named Aaron and the other is named Russell," Shazier said.
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