PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA – DECEMBER 27: Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers warms up before the game against the Indianapolis Colts at Heinz Field on December 27, 2020 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Ben Roethlisberger’s declining play is a huge issue for the Steelers. Here are three quarterbacks Pittsburgh can acquire to replace him.
The Steelers’ offense was severely limited down the stretch of the 2020 season by Ben Roethlisberger’s declining skills as their quarterback. That, coupled with his massive salary, make sit a distinct possibility that Pittsburgh will move on from Big Ben this offseason.
GM Kevin Colbert’s recent comments about Roethlisberger only doused gasoline on the fire of those potential rumors. He makes it clear that the veteran signal-caller told the team he wants to continue playing for the franchise in 2021, but the organization’s response was that they’d need to “look at the situation.”
The problem Pittsburgh faces is that they don’t have the assets required to secure a top-notch replacement. They lack the salary cap space required to land a premier free agent. The Steelers don’t have the high pick required to land a premium prospect in Round 1 of April’s draft.
That just means the Steelers front office needs to get a little creative. Here are three players they can realistically acquire who can serve as an upgrade over Roethlisberger in 2021.
3. Kyle Trask
Trask is a first round talent who will likely be available in Round 2 due to the quality of quarterbacks in this year’s draft class. It might take him a few weeks to get up and running as an NFL starter, but he’s got the long-term upside to outperform Roethlisberger in relatively short order.
Trask has good size and arm strength for the position. What he lacks in mobility he more than makes up for with his ability to put the ball on his receivers with outstanding accuracy. He’s not the flashiest quarterback prospect in this draft class, but he’s going to be a good starter for a long time if he lands with the right team.