3 reasons why Roethlisberger can’t be on Steelers in 2021

Begin the rebuild

While it seems silly to suggest that the Steelers need to rebuild after winning the AFC North and posting a 12-win season, the writing is on the wall for this team. With an aging offensive unit to go along with a soon to be retired Roethlisberger, this team isn’t on stable ground right now. Throw in the long list of pending free agents, and this team certainly looks like it could go from first to worst next season. If Roethlisberger hangs it up, it could get the rebuild ramped up.

As stated above, the team wouldn’t lose all of its young talent that is at risk to leave this offseason. That won’t lead to a successful 2021 though, as the team would then be reliant on Mason Rudolph to lead this team. That said, having a down year could be just what this team needs to have a quick rebound. The team will still be plenty talented, so a short rebuild could go a long way in getting back to the winning ways.

The Steelers could dedicate this offseason to getting younger on the offensive line, rebuilding the rushing attack, and sprinkling some youth where needed on defense. Next year, with a huge amount of cap space and even more picks that are likely 10-15 spots higher than the team will pick this offseason, the team can find its quarterback and try to fill in any remaining holes on the roster.

Again, losing Roethlisberger won’t make the Steelers better in 2021, but it would allow them to enter the rebuild phase one year sooner. The 2022 season will have its lumps of course, but that will all be for the greater good of this team. Use this offseason to get the team ready and then allow Rudolph to lead this team. More than likely, that will leave the team picking high (if it doesn’t that will be a good problem to have). The Steelers can retain their young veterans, draft some new faces, and be in a good spot to rebound after the next offseason.