Ben Roethlisberger is retiring after 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That development is not as surprising anymore, especially after what he did during his final NFL game at Heinz Field.
The Miami, Ohio native took time shaking the hands of the fans that remained after the game.
He looked at the field and sat on the bench for quite a long time while gazing at the field he called home.
Now, the real work begins for the Steelers’ top brass to find his successor who will fill the huge void Big Ben left.
There are several ways to address the concern, but they have potential flaws.
Elevate From Within
This approach is problematic because the Steelers have two quarterbacks who struggle for various reasons.
Mason Rudolph has been the backup over the years, and he might compete for the starting role.
Meanwhile, Dwayne Haskins has a chance to live up to the hype and push Rudolph for the job.
However, both Rudolph and Haskins haven’t seen much action lately.
Head coach Mike Tomlin isn’t impressed with both quarterbacks, and they must do more to be worthy of being the starter.
Using this approach is a major problem because they’ll have the worst starting quarterback in the AFC North.
Given that they face every division rival twice, the Steelers won’t stand a chance if they have either Rudolph or Haskins competing against Baker Mayfield, Lamar Jackson, and Joe Burrow.
Trade For A Free-Agent Quarterback
Pittsburgh can sign up a quarterback through free agency if they’re not convinced with Rudolph or Haskins.
Aaron Rodgers and Russell Wilson are some marquee names that might explore moving to another team.
Having studs on offense like Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool, Pat Freiermuth, and Najee Harris may persuade these play-callers to become a Steeler.
While getting such players can be a big boost to the Steelers’ title hopes, pulling off the transaction might be difficult.
Pittsburgh is $35 million under the projected 2022 salary cap, allowing them to sign more players.
However, getting a top quarterback will eat up their budget without addressing other roster concerns like the offensive line.
Draft A Quarterback
If the first two options don’t work, they can fill the position via the draft.
Unfortunately, the upcoming draft is a shallow one in terms of quarterback, and they might need to trade up from the 20th pick to acquire a top prospect.
The Denver Broncos might be interested in taking a quarterback with the ninth pick, especially if Rodgers won’t go there.
Likewise, the Washington Football Team might also select a play-caller at number 11.
The Steelers must find a pick before these teams draft any of these prospects.
Speaking of which, only two quarterbacks might hear their name called during the first round, and they are Ole Miss’ Matt Corral and Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett.
Getting Pickett would be a feel-good story of the hometown kid coming to his beloved NFL team.
What Will Realistically Happen?
The chances are that they will go with either Rudolph or Haskins as their new starter while upgrading their defensive unit.
They may not score many points, but the Steelers can stop their opponents from scoring.
That approach might be enough to remain competitive in the AFC North.
But it’s a stop-gap solution that will bring more questions than answers.
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