2021 NFL Quarterback Power Rankings: How far ahead is Patrick Mahomes?
By Randy Gurzi
15. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
There was a time when Ben Roethlisberger was a top-five quarterback in the NFL but that’s no longer the case. At 39-years of age, he enters this season as the final quarterback remaining in the historical 2004 NFL Draft Class.
That was the year when Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Big Ben all went in Round 1 and all three proved to be franchise cornerstones. Both Manning and Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls and while Rivers never did get a ring, he was still an elite player up until this past season when he led the Colts to the playoffs before retiring.
As for Roethlisberger, he’s become a much more cerebral player as he’s gotten older. He’s no longer the guy who dodges defenders and keeps plays alive in the pocket the way he did when he was younger. Now, he’s quicker to get rid of the ball as he tries to allow the playmakers to do the heavy lifting.
He also had a bit of a decline in 2020 after an 11-0 start which saw him and the Steelers then lose three of his next four regular-season starts as well as their playoff game against Cleveland. It was clear down the stretch that his surgically-repaired elbow was a problem and getting older won’t help him much either. Having said that, he can still win but has to continue to do so with his mind rather than his athleticism.