At this time in the offseason, we have to take trade rumors lightly sometimes because of the amount of names that are thrown around prior to the draft.

But, if you are like me, hearing that the Steelers could actually trade franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is something to talk about.

According to Jason La Canfora of NFL.com, the Steelers have had “significant internal discussions” about Roethlisberger. Although they have yet to talk to other clubs, Pittsburgh would listen to offers, according to the report.

From a football standpoint, this is big news — because Roethlisberger is a franchise QB with two Super Bowl rings. How many of those are just walking the streets?

I have made the mistake of doubting this guy’s ability as a QB, but it is easy to see the type of impact he has on that football team when we talk about game plans and making plays in crucial situations of the game. He’s a top-ten QB in the NFL and a player that you have to specifically game plan for from a defensive perspective because of what he can do both in and out of the pocket.

But, this situation carries so much more weight and consequence because of his recent actions off of the field. And after the Steelers traded away Santonio Holmes — a Super Bowl MVP — for what usually amounts to special teams value in a fifth- round pick, these “internal talks” may be more serious than we think.

According to one source that spoke to La Canfora, the Rooney family, who owns the Steelers, is “livid” in regards to Roethlisberger’s recent disciplinary acts.

We can speculate on what the Rooney’s will do when it comes to handing out punishment to Big Ben. Two games? One game? And, when the disciplinary action is announced, we can talk about how the Steelers will prepare as an offense with Dennis Dixon at QB.

However, is it time to talk about Dixon as the full-time starter in Pittsburgh? A crazy thought, and something I can’t see happening. But if the Steelers are that torn up about what Roethlisberger has brought them in terms of negative press, we have to at least take it into consideration.

But, actually trading Roethlisberger?

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