The Pittsburgh Steelers have had a terrific run under Ben Roethlisberger, but here’s why they are due for a total rebuild in 2022.
No other team has stayed on top as long as the Pittsburgh Steelers over the past 17 years. Since Ben Roethlisberger was drafted, his team hasn’t witnessed a single losing-record season and he brought Pittsburgh two more Lombardy Trophies.
Outside of the ’70s Steel Curtain team, the Ben Roethlisberger era has been the best stretch of Steelers football in a franchise that dates all the way back to 1933. Sadly, their run on top is quickly approaching its end.
For the past several years, the Steelers have been like an old vintage car you just can’t seem to get rid of. You’ve had so many good memories in that car, and it’s still serving its purpose, but its starting to rust beyond repair and the patchwork is getting out of control. At some point, you are better off just buying a new one.
That’s where the Steelers will be in 2022. In fact, some would argue that that’s where they have been since the closure of the 2018 season – just before Roethlisberger received a two-year, $68 million extension.
Though this is a rebuild that probably could have began a bit sooner, there’s no doubt in my mind that it’s one that needs to happen in 2022. And I’m not talking about patching a few holes on the roster; rather starting at the most important position and building from the ground up.
Steelers rebuild starts with finding the right quarterback
This is something that has been a long time coming. Ben Roethlisberger is the last of the remaining quarterbacks from a legendary 2004 quarterback class that included Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. Their respective teams took measures necessary to ensure that they had a quarterback in place. While their replacements (Daniel Jones and Carson Wentz) aren’t guaranteed to be franchise quarterbacks, they didn’t try to get by with what they had or settle for an aging veteran as a stop-gap player.
It’s time for the Steelers to do the same. Despite many fans’ hopes that Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins will turn their career around, the best way to start their rebuild is by finding a younger, more talented passer in the NFL Draft.
Depending on their record, Pittsburgh might miss out on the top prospects next year, but there are several other candidates who meet all the thresholds in terms of arm talent, mobility in the pocket, and the ability to make plays down the field. We still need to see these quarterbacks in the upcoming season, but players like Liberty’s Malik Willis or Boston College’s Phil Jurkovec could be possible candidates to fill the void.
In addition to securing a potential franchise quarterback, the Steelers need to make sure he is as well-protected as possible moving forward. I really like what the New York Jets did this season, after taking BYU quarterback Zach Wilson with the 2nd overall pick, they made sure that he was going to get as much protection as possible. The Jets traded up to secure USC offensive lineman Elijah Vera-Tucker and later signed right tackle Morgan Moses in free agency.
Depending on what we see from some of Pittsburgh’s young offensive linemen in 2021, they may need to do the same during a rebuilding phase next year.
The Steelers can’t truly enter a rebuilding phase unless they are all in when it comes to reshaping this team to succeed in the future. After the 2021 season, preparing for the future is going to be more important than trying to patch the holes in the present.