A lot has changed in the season since Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has taken the field.
The NFL crowned a new Super Bowl champion in the Kansas City Chiefs. The AFC torch seems to have been passed from former New England Patriots’ quarterback Tom Brady to the Chiefs’ Patrick Mahomes.
Within the Steelers’ own division, Baltimore Ravens’ quarterback Lamar Jackson had a breakout second season and earned league MVP honors.
The Cincinnati Bengals, who have typically been at the bottom of the division with the Cleveland Browns, drafted Heisman Trophy-winning Joe Burrow as the guy to lead their team for the next decade-plus.
Jackson, Mayfield and Burrow were just toddlers when Ben entered his rookie season in 2004. With all the youth surrounding the Steelers, including the Browns’ third-year signal-caller Baker Mayfield, is Big Ben being ushered out to pasture?
After what had been a nagging elbow injury turned serious, Roethlisberger found himself sidelined for the 2019 season. Now, nearly a season removed from that fateful day, the Steelers aren’t ready to give up on their franchise quarterback. And neither is Ben himself.
Let’s not forget that in 2018, Roethlisberger had a career season. With a bum elbow, he set individual and league records in pass attempts (452), completions (675) and yards (5,129) for a passer rating of 91.2 percent. His career-high 34 touchdowns ranked fourth to Andrew Luck, Russell Wilson and Matt Ryan.
With 12 months of rest and rehab, Roethlisberger, 38, has said he feels rejuvenated. While the injury was unfortunate, a year “off” isn’t an opportunity most aging quarterbacks get. Coming into training camp, he wasn’t facing the usual wear and tear effects of the previous season.
Instead of the retirement hemming and hawing that Steelers fans are used to hearing from Big Ben during the offseason, he had this to say: “I’m not saying that I have 10 years left in me, but I definitely feel like I’ve got some really good years in me. That was definitely a motivating factor, was coming back, and showing I still have it in the tank. I still have a lot to give this team. I still have a lot to give to fans.”
So, let’s pump the breaks on sending Roethlisberger out to pasture for now.
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