Analysts debate better career: Ben Roethlisberger or Aaron Rodgers?

The Good Morning Football crew on NFL Network are split on Steelers retired QB Ben Roethlisberger and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers. Is it even a debate?

Just when it seems like the offseason is starting to get a little slow, the Good Morning Football crew raises a debate that is sure to stir up controversy. On a recent segment, the panel consisting of four football experts posed the question: Whose career would you rather have: Aaron Rodgers or Ben Roethlisberger?

I shook my head when I first saw this. Then I realized that the panel was actually split right down the middle. Peter Schrager and Michael Robinson went with Big Ben, while Jane Slater and Kyle Brant said Aaron Rodgers.

While each party made compelling arguments, this truly is a no-brainer for me. The Pittsburgh Steelers have been part of my life since I was very young, and they will always be my team… but to mention Ben Roethlisberger in the same breath as Aaron Rodgers isn’t really fair.

Rodgers has had the better NFL career

This might not be the response you were wanting to hear from me, but as always, I’m going to call it like I see it. Yes, Roethlisberger does have the additional Super Bowl win — which I admit is important. However, when it comes to individual accolades, Rodgers blows Big Ben out of the water.

After taking over for the great Brett Favre, it wasn’t long before Rodgers developed a reputation as one of the best quarterbacks in the league. By his second season as a starter, Rodgers earned his first Pro Bowl appearance. From 2009 to 2012, he led the Packers to a 46-16 record that included two additional Pro Bowls, First-Team All-Pro honors, and his first league MVP. He also won the Super Bowl over the Steelers during this time.

Rodgers was injured halfway through the 2013 season but bounced back with another excellent three-year stretch before going down with another injury in 2017. Over the past three years, Rodgers has boasted a 13-3 record in each season — earning league MVP twice during that span.

Remarkably, Rodgers earned four NFL MVP honors and a Super Bowl victory during his spectacular career, and it’s not over yet. While some would argue that Rodgers should have been more successful in the playoffs, he has carried this Packers team for years, and we have seen how much they struggle when he’s not available.

The biggest difference between Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger is that one was widely considered the very best QB in the game for much of his career while the other was hardly considered inside the top five for more than a few years at a time. Roethlisberger never finished as much as high as fifth in MVP or Offensive Player of the Year voting, according to Pro Football Reference.

Both players had legendary NFL careers, but Rodgers did much more to carry his team while Roethlisberger was aided by some of the best defenses we have seen over the past two decades. I think Big Ben is one of the best to ever wear the black and gold, but Aaron Rodgers should be considered one of the very best players of all time when he hangs up his cleats. This really isn’t much of a debate.