Thursday, April 29, 2004
Tommy Maddox is confident of his role after meeting with Bill Cowher.
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A cooled-off Tommy Maddox expects to remain the Pittsburgh Steelers' starting quarterback now that he has had a clear-the-air meeting with coach Bill Cowher.
Maddox insisted Wednesday he isn't upset the Steelers drafted Ben Roethlisberger on the first round, though his agent has suggested otherwise, and he is ready to help the rookie become an NFL starter.
Just not right away, of course.
"Until they tell me differently. I'm preparing, planning, and getting ready like I am [playing this season]," Maddox said.
Gets assurance
Maddox was assured during the 45-minute meeting Tuesday that the Steelers won't hand the job to Roethlisberger. They also plan to give Maddox a pay raise after June 1, once they release or trade linebacker Jason Gildon to free up salary cap room.
Maddox was due to make $750,000 this season under the contract he signed while still a backup, which would have put him in the uncomfortable role of making less than either Roethlisberger or backup Charlie Batch.
Maddox was said to be emotional when the meeting with Cowher started, but Maddox insisted the talk wasn't heated or one-sided.
Cowher said Sunday he needed to talk to Maddox to judge his frame of mind.
"We had a good conversation," Maddox said. "I appreciated the things he had to say and I appreciated him listening to me. We had a good, long meeting."
Despite saying repeatedly he wasn't mad, Maddox said he waited until Wednesday to talk to reporters because "I didn't want to say anything I didn't want to say."
Similar role
Maddox, 32, now finds himself in the same mentor-competitor role with Roethlisberger that former Broncos quarterback John Elway had when Denver drafted Maddox in 1992.
"John and I got along very well, but he wasn't too concerned with helping me out a whole lot," Maddox said. "He and [coach] Dan Reeves weren't getting along so there was a lot of tension between them, and sometimes that carried over to me a little bit. If I asked him something he gave me his input, but he wasn't real open with coming up and talking to me about it."
Maddox won't be so distant with Roethlisberger, if only because he understands how difficult it can be for a rookie quarterback.
"I got drafted in first round and it only took me 10 years to get ready," said Maddox, who became a starter only two years ago.
Rookie preparation
Maddox said it is unrealistic to expect any rookie quarterback to come in and dazzle immediately, be it Roethlisberger, the Giants' Eli Manning or the Chargers' Philip Rivers, and hopes they understand that.
"Eli's in a tough spot in New York," Maddox said. "A lot of great quarterbacks came in and struggled. That was probably the most I got from John, him relaying the struggles he had as a rookie. It's still the NFL and it's a very tough league, a very demanding league."
Maddox also isn't concerned his situation could eventually mirror that of Cincinnati quarterback Jon Kitna. Kitna had a career year in 2003, nearly leading the Bengals to the playoffs, only to be told first-round draft pick Carson Palmer would start this season.
"You can waste a lot of time worrying about it, but these situations work themselves out," Maddox said. "I'm sure Jon's preparing himself like he's going to play 16 games and, by the time it rolls around, he might."