Getty Ben Roethlisberger could end his career with another team.
Ben Roethlisberger could finish his career outside of Pittsburgh.
The Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback is currently playing out a one-year deal. That means if the 39-year-old veteran decides to prolong his career for another year and Pittsburgh makes the decision to move on from him, Roethlisberger would end his career elsewhere.
According to Jeff Howe of The Athletic, the two-time Super Bowl champion could find himself a part of a “QB carousel” during the 2022 ofseason, which could see another major name — Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers — finally depart Green Bay.
In this scenario, Roethlisberger could find himself as the starting quarterback of a Super Bowl-ready team like the Packers.
“Roethlisberger, who turns 40 in March, could retire and remove himself from this list,” says Howe. “But if he’s got the itch to play and the Steelers make the hard decision to part ways with the franchise icon, Roethlisberger could help a ready-made contender like the Saints or work as a bridge quarterback in Green Bay or Seattle if either team trades their star signal caller.”
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Roethlisberger’s Declining Skills a Concern
Roethlisberger has played his entire 18-year career in Pittsburgh. However, some believe this may be his last go-around with the Steelers before the franchise moves on from him.
While his play has stabilized as of late after early-season struggles, the statistics show that Roethlisberger isn’t just past his prime — he’s one of the worst starting quarterbacks in the league.
According to PlayerProfiler.com, Roethlisberger ranks No. 29 in yards per attempt, 32nd in air yards per attempt, and 25th in adjustable yards per attempt.
Perhaps most concerning is that Roethlisberger vastly struggles on two type of pass plays in which he used to absolutely dominate in — play-action passes and deep balls. Roethlisberger ranks 24th in play-action completion percentage and 31st in deep-ball completion percentage.
There’s no doubting that Roethlisberger struggles to throw deep balls and his mobility is shot after so many bruising hits and injuries over the course of an 18-year career.
Roethlisberger May Be Packers’ Best Option if Rodgers Departs
The Packers could be desperate if Rodgers forces his way out of Green Bay. One of the dominant storylines of the 2021 offseason was the drama surrounding Rodgers’ unhappiness in Green Bay.
The Packers are currently one of the best teams in the NFL at a 7-2 mark and are Super Bowl contenders for the third consecutive season. For the past two years, the Packers have advanced to the NFC Championship Game.
However, if Rodgers departs, Green Bay needs a veteran quarterback that can fill as a stopgap option while the Packers can contend. The franchise has a number of talented individuals on offense — Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and A.J. Dillon — that are all in the thick of their primes.
Although Jordan Love has only started one game in his NFL career, it wasn’t pretty. The 23-year-old’s lone start versus the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 9 showed that he still has a lot of progress to make before he can even be considered a starting quarterback in the league.
As bad as Roethlisberger’s advanced statistics may look, he could possibly be the Packers’ best — and most realistic option — at quarterback for the 2022 season.