There have been 13 different quarterbacks that have started games for the Steelers since the year 2000 hit. Some of those players played a significant role, and some others were pushed into starting for different reasons. The Black and Gold have seen some quality talents at the signal caller spot, but they have also seen some terrible play there too.
Since 2000 hit, there has been an overly positive number of seasons for Pittsburgh's football club. They have been able to win two Super Bowls and go to another in that span of 23 years. They also saw a lot of playoff success and disappointments during that same span of time. Most of those outcomes were the direct result of their quarterback’s performance.
Too many QBs that started for the Steelers, so there are rules
With this article, comes a major rule along the way. The starting quarterback had to at least appear in five games or more for this team in a single season. That allowed for different backups that came in for a game or two to be knocked off this list. They were honorable backups, but they were only playing for a short stretch to really judge them.
Keeping the limit to five games will allow a fair idea of what kind of players these signal-callers truly were. There are some interesting names that ended up making the list, and some were not the most effective at quarterback. The Steelers have had eight significant contributors at quarterback since 2000. and it brought some mixed results with their level of play.
The bottom two did not start for an entire season, but one turned into a legendary tale
We reach a transitional era for the Steelers at quarterback as Neil O'Donnell had been gone for a few years before Kordell Stewart came onto the scene. He had been struggling as the main guy at quarterback as his role as slash had been gone. Kent Graham would start the season for the club to start to 2000 season.
Graham was nothing special and was a backup that had starting experience, which pushed Stewart for his job. Bill Cowher decided to start Graham that year, but that experiment did not work out too well. The club turned back to Stewart, which led the team into a place where they remained competitive, but not championship-level clubs.
The legend of Devlin "Duck" Hodges was one that only lasted six weeks, but it was an interesting situation to watch unfold. Mason Rudolph initially got the nod to start for the Steelers after Ben Roethlisberger was injured early into the 2019 season. With a stale offense on the field, Hodges was given the start and he was able to help this club get some momentum.
Unfortunately for Hodges, his momentum wore out, and started throwing ducks all over the field. Rudolph would be turned to again, but the team did find a way to steer clear of a losing record that season. Duck was a fun footnote in the Steelers' history books, but he was never going to be able to sustain a starting capable performance.
A couple of backups that are still on the Steelers roster make the list
One of the hot topics at quarterback over the past couple of years has been Mason Rudolph. He is still on the team after re-signing this past offseason, despite many thinking that he will not have any chance of returning. Rudolph went to free agency and was not able to find a better situation, so he returned for another year of being in a backup role.
Perhaps his biggest letdown to fans was their high hopes of him potentially being Ben Roethlisberger's replacement. That never materialized and Rudolph has led some stale offensive attacks when he does get a start or two. He has been a reliable third-string guy, even a backup, but he has never shown enough to warrant a top job in the NFL.
Expectations for a player could almost sink a career before they even play a snap in the NFL. Mitch Trubisky was drafted high by the Chicago Bears, but he was a below-average starter during his time there. He has now become a backup in the NFL and joined the Steelers last offseason to compete for their starting job.
He did win the job last year, but he was not able to make much of an impact in an offense that struggled. Trubisky re-signed this past offseason, and that is not the worst-case scenario that could have happened. He is not going to wow anyone if he needs to start a couple of games here or there, but you can do far worse for a backup.
An XFL standout and the current starter for Pittsburgh clock onto the list
We reach the current starter for the Steelers as Kenny Pickett will be the guy for the foreseeable future. After being the backup for five weeks to start his rookie year last season, he was finally given the starting gig. The black and gold were not miraculous on offense when that change at quarterback happened in 2022, but it did provide a small spark.
You can blame a bunch of different reasons as to why those 12 games did change the offense in a significant fashion. Pickett deserves blame, but those around him did not help with a lot of things either, namely his offensive coordinator. He has a bright future in front of him and it will be interesting to watch him continue in his current role as the top dog in Pittsburgh.
Most remember Tommy Maddox as the guy that was replaced by Ben Roethlisberger, and in theory, he was. But most should not forget about a couple of strong seasons where he performed as a quality starter for the Steelers. He took over for Kordell Stewart and provided something to this club that they had been missing for a while.
Maddox had an unusual way to become an NFL starter for Pittsburgh as he regained his play in the XFL. He won their league MVP before joining the Black and Gold via free agency. Maddox was not great by any sense of the imagination, but he was able to have a good season, especially in 2003. He was not the best starter since 2000, but he was not the worst either.
Slash and a future Hall of Famer round out the top two starters since 2000
It might be somewhat controversial to have Kordell Stewart at number two, but he was the most impactful quarterback that started for the Steelers after the top choice. Pickett will hopefully become the second-best, or best quarterback to helm the starting duties for this franchise in coming years. Stewart was an athletic freak that played in an era that was before his time.
Stewart was an electric talent that could throw with power and run like a deer. He might have had too long of a leash in Pittsburgh as he could never perform when the playoffs rolled around. That will always be his boogeyman when people remember his era of starting. He was a talented player, but just could not win when it mattered most.
The obvious choice here as Ben Roethlisberger is an easy choice to make the Hall of Fame when he becomes eligible. Some might say that he is the best quarterback that the franchise has ever seen, but some Terry Bradshaw truthers out there might see otherwise. Roethlisberger spoiled the fans that cheer on the black and gold for nearly two decades.
He was a dynamic player that was never afraid to take a hit and try to find a way to get a throw out of his hands. Roethlisberger could have played in any era of football and still had a great career throughout. No one can deny the numbers that he produced and the two Super Bowls that he helped win. Roethlisberger has been the best quarterback for this club since 2000, and potentially all-time.