How did Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger really perform in 2021?

Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had a rough season in 2021. Here’s a more detailed look at where he ranked among NFL quarterbacks this year. 

Ben Roethlisberger has been remarkable for this franchise. The 18-year quarterback had a spectacular Hall of Fame career for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and we probably have two fewer Super Bowls if it wasn’t for him. However, it’s okay for us to be objective when talking about his performance in the 2021 season.

Needless to say, it wasn’t very good. While some naive fans will point to his 2-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio or the fact that the Steelers finished with a winning record as the reasoning as to why Big Ben was good enough to get the job done this year, I don’t believe that was the case. If anything, Roethlisberger was holding this offense back.

This isn’t something we should be surprised about. Roethlisberger’s efficiency has been declining since the 2017 season, and there was no reason to expect the 39-year-old quarterback to be a better football player with an increased lack of mobility and a deteriorating arm in his old age.

Though he apparently did well enough for the Steelers to earn a playoff berth, Roethlisberger was no threat to compete with the top quarterbacks for a championship this year. In fact, his advanced statistics would indicate that he was one of the least efficient quarterbacks in the NFL this season. Here’s a look at his advanced stats, according to PlayerProfiler.com:

I feel for Ben Roethlisberger. I was probably as emotional as anyone when he played his last home game at Heinz Field and took his lap around the stadium to high-five fans one more time. It was hard seeing him exit the tunnel with his family next to him — knowing that he would never do this again.

While we all wanted Roethlisberger to end his career on a high note, I have to properly assess his performances from this season, and the results were not good. Though he wasn’t aided by a quality offensive line and didn’t have elite receiving options, it was clear that the overall traits were lacking as Ben’s accuracy, arm strength, and overall playmaking ability decreased substantially.

Ultimately, Big Ben finished the season 30th in yards per attempt (a metric used to measure QB success) and 28 quarterbacks had a better passer rating this year.

Could Steelers QB situation improve in 2022?

This obviously isn’t what Ben Roethlisberger is going to be remembered for. He will still be thought of as a Hall of Fame quarterback, one of the NFL’s all-time leading passers, and the player who helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls. However, with as disappointing as his play was this season, it’s worth pondering: could Pittsburgh’s QB situation actually improve without him in 2022?

This depends on what the plan is without Roethlisberger next year. If the Steelers are content to let Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins take the reigns next season, then I would say this is a definite no. In my opinion, I’ve seen enough out of each of these players to know that they are not the answer moving forward.

Fortunately, it looks like the Steelers won’t be content to simply go this route, based on some of Mike Tomlin’s most recent comments. Pittsburgh will likely try to fill the void with a rookie quarterback, and getting one with mobility seems to be something Tomlin will try to pursue.

Regardless of which quarterback they go after in the NFL Draft, we can not expect immediate success. However, it’s hard to envision a less-efficient season at the quarterback position than the one we saw out of Roethlisberger this year. If the team is willing to go with a stop-gap veteran (someone like Teddy Bridgewater or Jameis Winston), perhaps Pittsburgh’s offense could improve slightly in 2022.

Sadly, no matter which route they go, this team is probably going to have a very pedestrian offense until they can find their next franchise quarterback.

We are all going to miss Ben Roethlisberger. He was a staple to this team since I was a kid. However, his 2021 season was really among one of the worst individual quarterbacks performances this year, and it’s not impossible to believe that this could actually be an improved positional group with the right player in 2022.