Javon Hargrave Eager for Reunion with Former Team, Especially Ben Roethlisberger

The former Steelers defensive tackle spent four years with Pittsburgh but was never allowed to get anywhere near the QB during practice

PHILADELPHIA – Just about 15 seconds into the question about Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger on Thursday afternoon, Javon Hargrave’s stoic face curled into a smile.

“You can’t touch Ben,” said Hargrave, in a bit of a southern drawl ingrained from growing up in North Carolina and going to school in South Carolina.

“We never got a chance to touch Ben. Ben is forbidden to touch in Pittsburgh. … You get close to (Roethlisberger's uniform number) 7, you’re in trouble. I look forward to being able to bring him down, to finally be able to touch him and bring him down.”

Hargrave spent four years with Roethlisberger as his teammate before bolting Pittsburgh in free agency.

As much as he seemed to relish the opportunity of a reunion with his old quarterback, and Roethlisberger is relatively old now at 38, he knows it won’t be an easy task.

The Eagles have done a good job getting to Roethlisberger in their four meetings against him, during which time they are 2-2.

In a 34-3 win over Pittsburgh in their most recent meeting in 2016, they sacked Big Ben four times and intercepted him once, with Fletcher Cox notching a pair of sacks and Brandon Graham adding one.

The Eagles defense racked up eight sacks in their 15-6 win in 2008, with Juqua Parker getting 2.5 and Darren Howard two.

"Ben’s been in the league for a long time,” said Hargrave. “We have to disrupt, try to create problems because if we give him a lot of time, he can make a lot of plays happen and extend a lot of plays, so we have to be big on trying to get him down and bringing him down.”

Hargrave has tried to impart what he knows about his former teammates, especially to Graham.

“I try to figure out what type of person each guy is that Hargrave can remember,” said Graham, who has three sacks and is tied for the team lead with Josh Sweat. “You know I like to talk, so I want to see who I can talk to.”

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As much as he is trying to help his current team with his knowledge of four seasons with Pittsburgh, he appears to hold no animosity against his former teammates.

About T.J. Watt, a player who has to be in the early conversation for AFC Defensive Player of the Year, Hargrave said: “TJ a dog. That’s all I kind of really told everybody. TJ a dog. He has different ways he can beat you.”

Watt could be lined up against Eagles right tackle Lane Johnson, who battled a swollen ankle in San Francisco last Sunday and was out for most of the first half. The long plane ride to California probably didn’t help Johnson’s ankle, so the shorter flight across the state may help stabilize the ankle.

If Johnson can play when the two teams meet Sunday at Heinz Field (1 p.m.), he could be the one assigned to Watt.

“That’s two heavyweight matches and I just look forward to watching that,” said Hargrave.

Of Steelers running back James Conner, who has twice rushed for 100-yard games already in Pittsburgh’s three games, a smile again creased Hargrave’s face.

“James just has that underdog mentality,” said Hargrave. “He really carries himself with a chip on his shoulder. I look forward to trying to hit James this week. It’s just going to be fun trying to get after him a little hit this week.”

Hargrave laughed when he said he was looking forward to hitting Conner, but there’s no question Hargrave means all business.

He has helped turn the interior of the Eagles’ defensive line into a force to be reckoned with, teamed with Cox, Malik Jackson, and Hassan Ridgeway.

“They got high-end talent, but they also have quality depth and very capable talent,” Said Steelers coach Mike Tomlin during a call with Eagles reporters earlier in the week. “Guys like Fletcher Cox and Malik Jackson, and obviously Javon.

“It’s the multitude of talented people they can bring at you really creates problems. It allows guys to be fresh and dominate in the later portions of the game. That really stood out to me when they played the Bengals.”

The Eagle lead the league in sacks at the moment with 17, while the Steelers have 15, but have played one fewer game.

“It’s most definitely the best pass rushers in the game,” said Hargrave, referring to both his current team and his former one. 

“We’re just so deep. It’s multiple guys who can pass rush on both teams. I thought I was coming from the Steelers and being with some of the best pass rushers to coming to the Eagles and seeing some of the great pass rushers, too. It was really eye-opening to see how good both of these teams are at getting to the quarterback.”

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