Jay Glazer Spoke to Ben Roethlisberger About His Diss on Steelers QB's Fitness

NFL reporter Jay Glazer reached out to Ben Roethlisberger to discuss comments he made about the quarterback's fitness in an article for The Athletic.

Glazer, writing in his Athletic column, said Roethlisberger took the ordeal far better than Pittsburgh Steelers fans who berated him for the comments:

"Now, as far as Roethlisberger, I called Ben, I talked to him about it as a man because if I think someone is going to be upset about something that I said I’m going to call him. My statement about Ben got pulled way out of whack as if I was talking about his current rehab. Where did I say anything about his current rehab? I never did. What I wrote was: 'His idea of a great off-season workout program is doing one yoga session, playing golf, and drinking some beer.' I was making fun of him for his past workouts, which he’d readily admitted had been him in the past. In fact, when I called him I said, 'Yes, this is your yoga, golf and beer instructor calling' because he and I often bust each other’s balls."

Glazer wrote last week that the words fitness and Roethlisberger are "allergic to each other." He said the comments came from a place of friendship, given their personal relationship, and had no correlation to Roethlisberger's rehab from elbow surgery.

"Ben and I bust each other’s chops a lot," Glazer wrote. "When I did it again on here, poking fun at him, and it got pulled out, everyone went insane. I was thinking, 'What is going on?' I offered to clarify about his rehab because that wasn’t fair to him, and he simply said, 'No, just the fact you called is all I cared about.' That was it. Even though he didn’t care if I clarified it, I’m still clarifying it on his behalf because he has worked very hard in rehab."

Roethlisberger appeared in just two games last season, and there was speculation the Steelers could move forward without him. Fellow 2004 draftees Eli Manning (retirement) and Philip Rivers (free agency) both left their respective 16-year homes this offseason, leaving Roethlisberger as the last remaining quarterback from that class still with his original franchise.

Roethlisberger had never played in less than 12 games in a regular season before 2019. He took exception to fans being concerned about his fitness in an interview with Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. 

“I’ve heard people say I’m fat, and that just blows my mind,” Roethlisberger said. “I’m lighter and in better shape than I was in either of the past two years. I haven’t stopped working out. I normally don’t work out in the offseason, but I’ve been doing everything five days a week with my trainer. Cardio twice a week. Legs twice a week. Upper body twice a week...I guess it’s my beard that makes me look heavier. I must have five pounds in that, I know. But I’m not overweight.”

While Roethlisberger may never have the fitness level of a muscle-magazine cover athlete, that's not necessary for him to be a good quarterback. He's had a Hall of Fame career despite not having the most lean build, and in many cases his extra weight may have helped given the beatings he's taken in the pocket.