25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career

25 best Offensive Rookie of the Year winners ranked by playing career: 7. Ben Roethlisberger

Quarterbacks don’t win this award very often. 10 quarterbacks have won the award in its history. Two are Kyler Murray and Justin Herbert, who are both way too early in their careers to make this list. Ben Roethlisberger had the best career of any quarterback to ever win Rookie of the Year. Think about it, Brady didn’t play his rookie year. Manning was not good in his rookie year. Brett Favre was in Atlanta his rookie season. Joe Montana had 13 pass attempts his rookie year. Ben Roethlisberger is one of the few rookies who was given a chance to do well, and actually responded in kind.

Roethlisberger took over for XFL champion Tommy Maddox (yes, it is relevant) after Week 2. He went on to win all 14 games he started that season. No, literally, Roethlisberger went 14-0 in his rookie season. He only needed to throw 295 times as the Steelers were still relying on the running game, but Roethlisberger was still doing just enough to win on a weekly basis.

He continued to be one of the best in the league as his different play style would allow the offense to spend time developing a play. He could extend plays because he was just so hard to take down. Roethlisberger could overcome a mediocre offensive line and play at an All-Pro level.

Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl champion, someone who is sixth in passing yards and eighth in passing touchdowns all time. He is limping to the end of his career now, but his peak cannot be denied.