Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is reportedly following a strict regimen entering what could be his final NFL season.
NBC Sports reporter Ryan Burr claims the 39-year-old quarterback is cutting weight and poor eating habits entering his 18th NFL season, adding that a source told him Roethlisberger's "diet is stricter than "Tom Brady's famous TB12 regimen.
"Ben camp says biggest concern is weight loss. He has been so driven since the season ended. Source says his diet is stricter than Brady," Burr tweeted.
Burr, who said he's covered Roethlisberger since his high school basketball career, acknowledged that the narrative of the quarterback "beer guzzling" and being "lazy" was derived prior to getting married 10 years ago and settling down from his previous partying lifestyle, but the Pro Bowler has never shed that perception, despite a source claiming he was now "obsessed with diet and workouts."
Roethlisberger agreed to take a pay cut in order to help out the Pittsburgh Steelers this offseason.
During a media session earlier last month, the 39-year-old quarterback said he suggested taking a $5 million pay reduction in order to help the Steelers free up $15 million in cap space.
"I told them I want to help the team out however we can," Roethlisberger said via Sports Illustrated. "I went to them and told them I'll do whatever I could to help the team sign the guys that are going to help us win football games. I've been extremely blessed to play this game a long time. That was one of the reasons I wanted to come back. I knew we had a great defense and amazing weapons on offense.
"I wanted to come back and be part of a special football team, one that everyone is overlooking, which is kind of cool, too. In order to help get the guys, I felt it was necessary to do that."
The Steelers were able to re-sign Zach Banner, Cameron Sutton, Tyson Alualu, and Juju Smith-Schuster, Roethlisberger's primary wide receiver, as well as several additional free agents with the additional cap space.
"I felt it was the right thing to do if I wanted to play," Roethlisberger said. "I felt relatively healthy, all things considered at the end of the season. It just felt like I had more in the tank and felt disappointed with the way the season ended, obviously, and I hated to go out that way."
Roethlisberger and the Steelers agreed on a new contract in March for the 2021 season, which will be his 18th with the franchise after being selected No. 11 overall in the 2004 NFL Draft.
Brady's incredibly strict TB12 Method and nutritional plan has played a key role in the quarterback extending his now 22-year NFL career, which included winning his seventh Super Bowl in February.
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