5 players besides Ben Roethlisberger the Steelers can’t afford to lose in 2020

The Steelers 2020 season is an important one in terms of their championship window. They must strive to stay healthy and maximize the potential the roster has to make a playoff run.

In the NFL, it’s hard to make the playoffs and it is even harder to win a championship. That becomes even more difficult if you lose a key player along the way. The Steelers know this all too well after losing Ben Roethlisberger for all of last season right when their defense turned a corner. Like many teams, losing their quarterback spelled doom for the season almost before it began.

However, there are 52 other players on an NFL roster, and losing a quarterback isn’t the only way to derail a promising season. Everyone knows they cannot lose Big Ben, but, what about some other players?

The makeup of a roster is littered with different roles for different players. There’s a mix of veterans who have been with the team for a while, recently brought in veterans, up and coming young guys and rookies.

Through that mix of players, some guys develop leadership roles and some become the energy of their position group and so on. The dynamic is disrupted when any of these guys gets sidelined and affects performance on the field.

Aside from Big Ben, there are five guys who the Steelers can not afford to lose this season. If they want to make a run, these guys must stay healthy and productive in their play and their roles to make a deep playoff run a reality.