The Pittsburgh Steelers don't anticipate trading quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, a source with knowledge of the situation said Thursday, and expect him to be with the team next season.
The Steelers aren't talking to any teams about Roethlisberger right now and don't plan to do so, according to the source. They essentially consider it a dead option.
The Steelers had been open to dealing Roethlisberger and did reach out to the St. Louis Rams over the weekend about the possibility of acquiring the No. 1 overall draft pick and taking Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. However, those talks were brief because the Rams weren't interested in Roethlisberger, who received a six-game suspension Wednesday for violating the NFL's personal-conduct policy.
Contrary to published reports, the Steelers never shopped Roethlisberger to teams all over the first round, according to a source with direct knowledge of the situation.
"That's ridiculous," the source said. "It was never even considered. It was never an option."
Raiders officials called the Steelers to assess what it would take to land Roethlisberger, a two-time Super Bowl champion. The Steelers listened to the Raiders, according to the source, but the talks weren't substantial, haven't resumed and aren't expected to be opened again.
The Arizona Cardinals -- whose coach, Ken Whisenhunt, once was Roethlisberger's offensive coordinator in Pittsburgh -- aren't interested in the quarterback and haven't had contact with the Steelers. Also, reports that the Steelers contacted the AFC North rival Cleveland Browns about Roethlisberger were considered preposterous within the Pittsburgh organization.
