5 Steelers that will be unfairly made scapegoats during 2021

Steelers Ben Roethlisberger

While the first three names will still be scapegoats on a smaller level, the last two names will be the target of both the fanbase and the media if the Steelers season goes south. Ben Roethlisberger appears to be gearing up for one final run, and that decision has been met with a lot of controversy. That all said, he did the absolute most anyone could expect from him by signing a voidable year contract and taking a five million dollar pay cut to continue being with the team in 2021. While he has his struggles, he gives the team the best opportunity to win.

If this offense comes out flat and continues to struggle though, expect the hate to pour in from just about every outlet. While some critique of Roethlisberger is fair (his deep passes really fell flat last year and the offense as a whole was designed around hiding his flaws and became predictable), the entire team will need to rise up this year. This roster has a lot of new faces, so saying Roethlisberger is the only problem is silly at this point.

The receivers need to do a better job of catching the ball, the line will have to become a solid unit sooner than later, and Harris will have to prove that he can give the Steelers a stable run game. While Roethlisberger will have to execute passes and lead the team as the quarterback, he is far too old to be counted on as the only offensive threat anymore. Again, he has plenty of shortcomings that should be talked about, but the success of the offense as a whole won’t solely fall on Roethlisberger’s shoulders this season.