Pros and cons of Steelers taking a quarterback in the 2021 NFL Draft

The Pittsburgh Steelers are soon going to have a need for a quarterback. Here are the pros and cons of drafting one high in April.

Considering the circumstances, Ben Roethlisberger has been as good as anyone could have expected this year for the Steelers. After missing 14 games last year with a season-ending elbow surgery on his throwing arm, many wondered if the Super Bowl-winning quarterback would ever be able to sling the ball the same again.

Cleary he has proved many doubters wrong. Pittsburgh is 9-0 for the first time in franchise history and they are on track to earn the top seed in the AFC this year. This is largely thanks to Roethlisberger and the way he has been able to take care of the ball this season. With 22 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions, he is putting his team in a great position to win each and every game.

Unfortunately, this isn’t going to last forever. Big Ben turns 39 years old this offseason and the lack of velocity has equated to just 4.8 air yards per completion this year, according to Pro Football Reference. The Steelers will soon need to find their next quarterback of the future, but there are pros and cons of doing so in the 2021 NFL Draft:

Pros of Steelers drafting a quarterback in 2021

Drafting a quarterback before Ben Roethlisberger isn’t quite done might not be a bad idea. With Ben set to give Pittsburgh at least one more season before calling it quits on a Hall-of-Fame career, having a quarterback learning underneath him could be extremely beneficial.

This would give a rookie ample time to sit back and learn the offense and develop chemistry with his teammates as opposed to being thrown into the fire look many rookie signal-callers are. When Ben does decide to leave, Pittsburgh will have a talented, young quarterback waiting to be handed the baton. It’s a scenario that most franchises dream of.