Bettis thinks the league needs to suspend Roethlisberger

During an interview on the Dan Patrick Show, former Steelers running back and current NBC Analyst Jerome Bettis believes the NFL needs to suspened Ben Roethlisberger for his recent off-the-field incidents.

“Oh, absolutely. I think that’s pretty clear,” Bettis said. “I think the climate that Roger Goodell has created is that if there is a pattern of misbehavior, regardless if it is an offensible crime, you’re going to be suspended.
And I think that’s what’s happening.”

Bettis also believes it would create an issue with Roethlisberger’s teammates if he wasn’t suspended. “I think it would be an issue. Other people have been speaking race, but I think the bigger issue is position. I think if he’s not suspended, the message it’s showing is that the NFL is protecting its quarterbacks again,” Bettis said. “They protected them on the field by doing all these things to limit them from being hit. And now here we are again, a star quarterback is in the cross-hairs and he’s being protected off the field. So I think that would be a real negative blow to everything Commissioner Goodell has really tried to create.