It's the calm before the storm of the NFL offseason, which means it's the perfect time to stir up debate with all-time player rankings. On Tuesday, Bleacher Report's staff released their detailed rankings of the 99 best quarterbacks in Pro Football history... and a pair of Pittsburgh Steelers legends were neck-and-neck.
Ben Roethlisberger and Terry Bradshaw are widely considered the two best quarterbacks in the Steelers' franchise history, based on longevity, peak performances, and the success they brought to the franchise. Roethlisberger boasts the better passing numbers, while Bradshaw owns bragging rights when it comes to postseason and Super Bowl success.
So it's only fitting that these two names are touching on B/R's all-time QB rankings.
According to rankings from Bleacher Report's staff, Roethlisberger is the 16th-best quarterback in Pro Football history, while Bradshaw is 15th. And just like that, B/R stirred the pot with the Steelers' fanbase regarding the decade-long debate between Big Ben and Bradshaw.
Pittsburgh Steelers fans should be content with B/R's quarterback rankings
I spent countless hours ranking the 50 greatest players in Pittsburgh Steelers history, so I know how hard it is to order all-time lists like the one Bleacher Report's staff recently compiled. It's daunting to compare players—even at the same position like Roethlisberger and Bradshaw—across multiple generations.
Bradshaw, who played from 1970 to 1983, played in arguably the toughest era in NFL history, where the rules favored the defense. Thus, contributing to his unspectacular career passer rating (70.9), touchdown-to-interception ratio (roughly 1/1), and adjusted yards per attempt (5.84). At the same time, Bradshaw has undeniable Super Bowl success.
The case for Roethlisberger might be stronger.
Though Big Ben has two Super Bowl wins compared to Bradshaw's four, he did so while putting up significantly better passing numbers—more yards and touchdowns with fewer interceptions and a better career passer rating (93.5). Roethlisberger also did this while not being surrounded by Hall of Fame talent on both sides of the ball.
Regardless, Steelers fans should be content with B/R's QB rankings. Both Roethlisberger and Bradshaw being ranked inside the top 16 quarterbacks in football history is no small feat. The two Steelers legends topped names like Roger Staubach, Kurt Warner, and Troy Aikman.
Just ahead of Roethlisberger and Bradshaw on the all-time QB list are Bart Starr (14th), Fran Tarkenton (13th), Otto Graham (12th), and Jonny Unitas (11th).
To no surprise, Tom Brady claimed the top spot on the list, followed by Joe Montana and Peyton Manning. Aaron Rodgers, who was the Steelers' quarterback for the 2025 season, came in 5th in the all-time QB rankings.
At the end of the day, Pittsburgh Steelers fans know their team has two legends they can lay claim to at the quarterback position, and it's only fitting that they are touching on B/R's list of the 99 best quarterbacks in Pro Football history.