It sounds like Ben Roethlisberger is going to be returning to the Steelers in 2021, but how many AFC quarterbacks will outperform him next season?
Whether you are in favor of Ben Roethlisberger returning to the Steelers in 2021 or not, it appears Pittsburgh has made up their mind to bring back their franchise quarterback for his 18th NFL season. While Ben likely gives this team the best chance of competing next year, there are obvious pros and cons to both sides of this.
Had the Steelers decided to move on, they could have truly started the rebuild process this year, and by next season, they were set to have the most cap space in the NFL, according to Over the Cap. However, restructuring and backloading Cameron Heyward’s contract was only the beginning, and there is plenty of evidence to believe that Pittsburgh will be willing to jeopardize their future cap situations for a shot at a title this year.
But how good are the Steelers odds with Big Ben in 2021? Do they really stand a legitimate chance? After all, there has been a wave of young quarterback talent to land in the AFC over the past five years.
Where does Ben Roethlisberger rank among AFC quarterbacks?
Back in 2014, we could have argued that Ben Roethlisberger was as good as the third-best quarterback in the conference – right on the heals of players like Peyton Manning, Andrew Luck, and Tom Brady. However, we are a far cry away from those days. Six years later, we are looking at an entirely different player.
This past season, Ben’s yards per attempt dropped to 32nd in the league and his current play-style resembles more of Alex Smith than it does his former ‘Big Ben’ self. Now we have the right to question: how many AFC quarterbacks could outplay Roethlisberger in his age-39 season in 2021?
Players who will outplay Ben
You don’t have to see the future to take an educated guess at which quarterbacks will outperform the aging Steelers quarterback next season. At this point, there are several passers who are playing at a whole different level and have had greater single-season personal accomplishments than Roethlisberger has ever seen.
Those players that I’m referring to are Patrick Mahomes and Deshaun Watson (assuming the latter stays in the conference). We can also assume that a few young, rising talents like Josh Allen and Justin Herbert – who had one of the best rookie seasons we have ever seen – will outplay an aging Ben in 2021. This means the best-case scenario for Roethlisberger in 2021 is the 5th-best quarterback in the AFC.
Players who could potentially outplay Ben
This brings us to a sizable group of players who all have the potential to outplay Ben Roethlisberger in 2021. As Ben’s play continues to decline in his old age, other younger quarterbacks are taking a step forward. Some of these names include former league MVP Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield, Derek Carr, and Ryan Tannehill.
It’s also entirely possible that a few other names could join them on this list. Still very unproven, I wouldn’t be stunned if Joe Burrow, Trevor Lawrence, and newly acquired Colts quarterback Carson Wentz joined this list. This would give us a worst-case scenario of Roethlisberger being the 12th-best quarterback in the AFC next year.
Most likely scenario
Obviously, I don’t see the worst-case scenario coming to fruition. Ben is still a competent quarterback who has improved his ability to take care of the football (minus the playoff game against the Browns). However, I also don’t see the best-case scenario playing out either.
What is most likely is that Big Ben plays like the 8th-best quarterback in the conference this year. that means that players like Mahomes, Watson, Allen, and Herbert will outplay him, while others like Jackson, Tannehill, and Carr are likely to do the same.
This is obviously just an opinion and perhaps Roethlisberger could surprise us all in 2021. However, by this logic, is the 8th-best quarterback in the AFC capable of winning a Super Bowl next season? Probably only if everything else is going right for the Steelers next year. It’s going to be a tough road to the ultimate goal.