2020 NFL Power Rankings: Patriots moving up as training camp nears
By Randy Gurzi
22. team. 55. . . Previous: 24th. Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh moves from No. 24 to 22
Another team that has a huge season ahead of them is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They were able to go 8-8 last year which was a complement to the coaching of Mike Tomlin who had to deal with the loss of starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as well as a host of other issues including their part in the brawl with the Cleveland Browns. While the Browns were the ones heavily disciplined, the fact that so much attention was paid to a fight had to be a distraction. And distractions have become the norm in Pittsburgh sadly.
This season, they will at least have Big Ben back after he healed up from his elbow surgery last year. The problem is, they haven’t been great over his last eight games played, including an 0-2 start to the 2019 campaign.
Roethlisberger was the third quarterback taken in the historic 2004 NFL Draft and he remains the final one to play with the team that drafted him. Eli Manning retired last year and Philip Rivers left the Chargers to join the Indianapolis Colts.
Could the same fate be in the near future for Big Ben? He will have a lot of eyes on him as the Steelers need to figure out if it’s time to move on — and if someone such as Mason Rudolph is the answer to take over long-term.