4 Pittsburgh Steelers with the most weight on their shoulders in 2021

QB Ben Roethlisberger

No player is more responsible for the success or failure of the team than quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger. As a result, he carries a tremendous amount of weight on his shoulders in 2021. After doing everything in his power to come back for one final season (including taking a pay cut), Big Ben is out to give it his all one last time. The question is: will his all be enough?

After a terrific start to the 2020 season, things fell apart for Ben and the Steelers over the final six games of the season and into the playoffs. Roethlisberger’s yards per attempt over the second half of the season was among the worst in the league, and he couldn’t get anything going on offense.

Now we can only hope that Roethlisberger’s arm is a little bit stronger being another year removed from severe elbow surgery. Adding Najee Harris should help out the rushing attack and give Ben a dump-off option in the passing game. However, the offense clearly lives and dies by the quarterback position, and the team’s success is directly tied to the performance of Big Ben in 2021.

There are other major contributors on the Steelers that will have a hand in the success of the team this year, but there is a significant amount of weight on the shoulders of these four players. Let’s hope they rise to the challenge.