Steelers Almost Traded Ben Roethlisberger to 49ers
In a shocking find by The Athletic, Hall of Fame linebacker and former San Francisco 49ers head coach Mike Singletary revealed the Pittsburgh Steelers almost traded their biggest asset - Ben Roethlisberger.
Singletary told The Athletic that a trade between the Steelers and 49ers was in place in 2009, but Roethlisberger's off-field issues made the head coach veto the move.
A civil suite was filed in Washoe County, Nevada by Andrea McNulty, who accused Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her in her hotel room after a celebrity golf tournament.
According to Singletary, 49ers CEO Jed York and director of player personnel Trent Baalke were on board with the trade, he said no because of Roethlisberger's troubles and the head coach wanting to put faith in their current quarterback Alex Smith.
"I had been telling the team I wanted a team of character,” Singletary told The Athletic. "I felt I had to be true to that. But if I could do it again, I’d do it differently."
The civil suite was eventually settled and Smith went on to have his best season, throwing for 2,350 yards and 18 touchdowns with 12 interceptions. However, Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault again in 2010 and suspended for six games, which was reduced to four.
The Steelers went on to play in the Super Bowl that season, losing to the Green Bay Packers.
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