The Pittsburgh Steelers are being urged to move on from Ben Roethlisberger.
According to Brent Sobleski of Bleacher Report, if there’s one starter the Steelers need to move on from, it’s the 39-year-old quarterback. The B/R analyst attributes the Steelers to being a mediocre team — and says Ben isn’t making things any better.
“The Pittsburgh Steelers understand it’s time to move on from quarterback Ben Roethlisberger,” says Sobleski. “The 39-year-old signal-caller knows his time as the starter in the Steel City is coming to an end, too.
Sources told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that those within the organization are acting as if these are the final games of his career.
Roethlisberger isn’t under contract beyond this season. He reworked his deal and took a major pay cut to give it one last go. Right now, the Steelers are a mediocre team and they’re no longer made better with Big Ben orchestrating the offense.
But the organization didn’t have a choice. It didn’t plan properly to acquire and nurture an obvious heir apparent. Mason Rudolph hasn’t been the answer since he floundered as the starter in 2019 when Roethlisberger required major elbow reconstruction to his throwing arm.
Two years later, the Steelers still don’t have a plan other than waiting to see how Roethlisberger’s career comes to a slow, painful end.”
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Steelers No Longer an Elite Team Outside of Big Ben
Sobleski is right — the Steelers are no longer a good team and the fact that Roethlisbeger is no longer “Superman” doesn’t exactly help matters.
The once-fearful defensive unit — a staple of the franchise — has now reverted to mediocrity as they rank 22nd in points allowed, 31st in rushing yards and dead-last in rushing yards per attempt allowed.
There’s also the matter of youth. Despite being considered a playoff contender with expectations, the Steelers are have one of the youngest squads in the NFL. In fact, according to Over The Cap, the Steelers have the youngest offensive unit in the league.
73.9% of the team’s offensive snaps have been played by guys 25 years or younger. By comparison, the NFL average is 41.6% and the second-closest team is the Philadelphia Eagles at 66.1%.
That youth and inexperience may feature some talent, but it’s also resulting in growing pains that the team cannot afford considering its lack of advantages. Case in point, Chase Claypool’s unnecessary celebration towards the end of the Steelers’ game versus the Minnesota Vikings after a fourth-down conversion. The premature celebration resulted in the loss of precious seconds and an eventual loss for the Steelers.
Roethlisberger is a Statistically Below-Average QB
To top it all off, Roethlisberger is simply not that good anymore. While he has willed Pittsburgh to a few heroic victories through his IQ and experience, the veteran quarterback simply can’t throw and can’t move anymore.
According to Pro Football Focus, Roethlisberger ranks 20th among all starting QB’s in deep-ball accuracy. Roethlisberger is even worse when passing under pressure, posting a 42.1 passing grade and ranking 30th among all starters in that department, according to PFF.
As Sobleski notes, the Steelers don’t have a plan in place to replace Roethlisberger.
While most are expecting this to be his last season in Pittsburgh, the fact that the Steelers’ top option to replace him is Mason Rudolph at the moment, that is major cause for concern.
Analyst Urges Steelers to Move On From Ben Roethlisberger