Maybe it’s time Ben Roethlisberger tells Antonio Brown to shut up

If Ben Roethlisberger, the Steelers 16-year veteran quarterback, was a regular on Jimmy Kimmel Live, not only could he contribute a segment to the “Mean Tweets” feature, he’d be able to do so multiple times—and all the mean Tweets would be from Antonio Brown.

That’s right, in yet another very mean Tweet directed at his old teammate who may or may not have been his best friend when he was in Pittsburgh, Brown took to social media on Tuesday and said: “Never friends just had to get my ends......shut up already.”

Brown’s latest mean Tweet targeted at his former quarterback, one that he later deleted in I’m guessing a moment of clarity (either that, or he accidentally hit “delete” while applying cream to his frostbitten feet), was a response to Roethlisberger’s sit-down interview with NBC’s Michelle Tafoya that aired during halftime of the Steelers preseason game against the Titans on Sunday Night Football.

During the interview, Roethlisberger (yet again) expressed remorse for, in my opinion, the most overblown bit of sports drama since Deflategate. I’m referring to that infamous episode of the now former weekly radio segment Roethlisberger had on 93.7 The Fan in-which he criticized Brown for his end zone route on a play that resulted in an interception late in a 24-17 loss to the Broncos last November 25. Roethlisberger said if he had to do it all over again, he wouldn’t have criticized Brown because, well, it ruined a friendship.

Once again, Roethlisberger said all the right things, and once again, Brown said all the stupid things.

Were Roethlisberger and Brown ever friends? It’s hard to say. Brown has said they were in the past. Does it really matter, though? Even if they were just friendly at work, even if they just had a business-like relationship that included no intimacy beyond their young kids playing with each other at training camp, the two created some beautiful memories together on the football field.

From a legacy standpoint, isn’t that the most important thing?

Why is Brown so intent on destroying that? Why is he so eager to be the heel in this saga? Because that’s what he is right now, whether he knows it or not. Sure, he was the bad guy in Pittsburgh the second the 2018 season came to a crashing halt, but nationally, he had a lot of good guy cachet that more than one former NFL player, more than one national talking head, was more than willing to help him propagate.

Now, he’s likely going to be seen as a phony, as someone who used a teammate to get ahead in life.

Brown just continues to go low while others go high.

At this point, he’s pretty darn lucky he never won a championship with Roethlisberger, because how could the two ever coexist at some future team reunion?

I realize this will sound blasphemous and quite counter-productive in light of the healthier image the Steelers have fostered both locally and nationally in the wake of Brown’s departure and continued clown act with the Raiders, but if I’m Roethlisberger, I’m using every platform available to tell Mr. Big Chest to shut the bleep up. I'm letting the world know what a selfish player he was in Pittsburgh, that he was a horrible teammate, both in the locker room and even on the field.

That’s right, public opinion has shifted so much to Roethlisberger’s side in this ongoing, and one-side, feud, even his harshest national critics (of which, there are more than a few who are always eager to pounce on him when the pouncing is good) may not begrudge him an overt verbal slap back at Brown for all of the vitriol the All-Pro receiver has spewed in his direction since January.

I know I would. I couldn’t sit back and continue to take the high road. I mean, my goodness, the guy just commented on a route during his weekly radio segment. Even Martavis Bryant, of all people, once took a public challenge from Roethlisberger and used it as fuel for one heck of a playoff run back in 2016.

Oh well, fortunately for him, Roethlisberger has more dignity and integrity than I do. Besides, it’s only a matter of time before his current teammates, coaches and fans in Oakland tell Antonio Brown to shut the bleep up.