In perhaps the clearest indication yet that the tide that has turned against Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is becoming a tsunami, veteran Pittsburgh journalist Bob Smizik, a local voice as respected as any, makes the case for an outcome that not long ago would be regarded as radical.
“The Steelers need to reclaim their special brand,” Smizik writes. “The best way to do that is to trade Roethlisberger.”
Smizik makes a great case for it. And the move would allow coach Mike Tomlin to continue to remake the team the way he prefers, with Dennis Dixon -- whom we hear Tomlin loves -- taking over at quarterback.
Smizik points to circumstantial evidence suggesting that the Steelers could be contemplating cutting the cord on the 11th overall pick from the 2004 draft, a man who delivered two Super Bowl rings in four seasons. And he makes a great case for the possibility that the Steelers are preparing to give Roethlisberger a fresh start in a new uniform.
Though it would still be a surprise, at this point no one would be shocked. In Pittsburgh, plenty of people may even feel free to exhale.