By: Jake Rajala

Diontae Johnson was a monster in 2021, as he recorded career highs in: receptions (107), targets (169) yards (1,161 yds), and touchdowns (8). His production spoke for himself, as he was a Top-10 fantasy WR in PPR (9th in points per game) in 2021. Johnson rightfully garnered a Pro Bowl spot last season, via his tremendous third season in the league.

It’s obvious that Johnson was from another planet last season, but the question is: can Johnson be a potent WR in the new-look Steelers offense? Well, I believe he certainly will be a stat machine for Mitchell Trubisky, as he seems to be logical 2022 starter.

Per Behind the Steelers Curtain, the Steelers fans also believe Trubisky is in line to be the QB1.

There are two important factors revolving the Steelers QB change. For 1. Big Ben was far from excellent in 2021. The Steelers QB legend threw 22 touchdowns, 6.2 Y/A, and unveiled 3,740 yds. For 2. Trubisky (assuming he gets the Week 1 keys to the offense), can likely be an upgrade over the 2021 version of Roethlisberger in a Steelers uniform. Trubisky threw 24 touchdowns in 14 games as a sophomore QB in a worse situation. I still believe that the Nagy-less version of Trubisky can at least oust a season similar to his 2018 season.

I actually believe there is a strong chance that Trubisky is the 2023 starter. It may seem sexy to say Trubisky is the “mentor” but he is only 27 (28 in August) at this moment. It should also be noted that Pickett doesn’t appear to have an impressive ceiling.

Johnson will not only be heavily targeted (perhaps a bit less than 2021), but he will excel in the deep-passing game with his new QB. I understand that the former Steelers QB won two Super Bowls and somehow receives a legacy comparison to Aaron Rodgers, but I believe that Johnson will continue to climb the ladder with a more explosive QB-mate in 2022. Trust in Johnson (and his contract year) and his long-term outlook as a Steeler in the JuJu-less offense, as the Pickett Trubisky-Johnson connection should thrive.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2022 offseason is officially underway. The last chapter for the legendary two-time Super Bowl champion Ben Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh has been closed. All signs point towards Big Ben retiring and Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin has even stated that he’s acting with the assumption that his long-time starting QB is retired. Furthermore, Tomlin expressed that he was “excited” about the challenge of finding the Steelers next franchise QB.

The most likely road for the Steelers starting QB does appear to lie with the competition between the QBs in the building. The young Mason Rudolph, who is under contract for another season, will have an opportunity to push for the starting gig. Former Ohio State Buckeye Dwayne Haskins and “current draft bust” is bound to be a restricted free agent in 2022, but the 24-year-old holds an opportunity to compete for the starting QB position. It basically appears obvious that both QBs will be in the facility chomping at the bit when training camp arrives, as Tomlin stated that the two QBs have earned an opportunity to fight for the starting QB from a professional and work standpoint.

The Steelers could also look at QB prospects like Marcus Mariota, Tyrod Taylor, Jameis Winston, Jacoby Brissett, and Andy Dalton in free agency. It would also make a lot of sense if the Steelers pursued QBs like Matt Corral or Kenny Pickett in the 2022 draft, too.

As it stands, the two young bucks in Rudolph and Haskins are laser-focused on receiving the keys to the Steelers hot-rod offense. The most likely starting Steelers QB in training camp appears to be Mason Rudolph, but Dwayne Haskins surely won’t go down without a fight. With that said, which QB is more destined to be the next franchise QB? Well, let’s go under the microscope and unveil the tale of each QB.

Mason Rudolph

The former Oklahoma State University QB finished seventh in Heisman voting as a senior in college. It was quite an impressive senior season for Rudolph, as he notched 28 passing touchdowns to 4 interceptions. He also won the “Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award” in his last playing season. Rudolph of course earned himself an early phone call in the 2019 NFL draft, as he was picked in the 3rd round to be the potential heir to Big Ben. The QBs selected ahead of Rudolph in the 2018 draft were Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold, Josh Allen, Josh Rosen, and Lamar Jackson (all in the first round).

As of the end of the 2021 regular season, The 2018 third-round pick Mason Rudolph has spent three seasons as the backup QB to Big Ben. It didn’t take long for the former Oklahoma State QB to see the field because he played in 10 games in 2019 (rookie year). In those 10 starts, Rudolph unveiled 1,765 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, 9 interceptions, and an 82.0 passer rating. Rudolph wasn’t a bobblehead QB or pedestrian for the performance like many rookie QBs. Nonetheless, the Steelers will demand more excellence than his overall production from his outing in 2019. Big Ben has never had a QB rating from a 15+ game season below 82.

It is worth noting that rookie QBs still have ousted similar regular season QB ratings as Rudolph’s 2019 rookie outing. Trevor Lawrence, who was taken first overall in the 2021 NFL draft, registered a 71.9 passer rating from the 2021-2022 season. The New York Jets rook QB in 2021 Zach Wilson showcased a 69.7 passer rating in his rookie campaign. Not only was Rudolph’s slightly below-average production not uncommon for rookie signal-callers, but Rudolph should be leaps ahead of his 2019 version. He has been able to sit behind Big Ben and grow for numerous seasons since 2019.

Rudolph may not have been putting up “Madden-like” numbers or unleashing highlight throws to the corner of the end zone, but he showed a real knack for winning. Rudolph put together a three-game winning streak in 2019. His winning streak would of course end in the same game where he had the most unusual moment of his career.

Towards the final moments of the Cleveland Browns 21-7 victory over Pittsburgh, 2021 DPOY candidate Myles Garrett and Rudolph were involved in a serious fight. Garrett snatched Rudolph’s helmet off his head and he tried to hit Rudolph’s head with his helmet. Rudolph was trying to drag down the Browns elite defensive end in the physical exchange. Garrett accused Rudolph of using a racial slur at him, but the players and league couldn’t find any evidence of Rudolph expressing a racial slur at him. Garrett was suspended indefinitely and fined $45,623, while Rudolph wasn’t suspended and given a hefty fine of $50,000.

The Pittsburgh center and tough guy Maurkice Pouncey was suspended for two games and Browns defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi was suspended one game for being involved in the infamous brawl.

Rudolph started two preseason games (played three games) in 2021 and unleashed a 99.2 passer rating from the preseason. Rudolph flashed his excellent improvement in reading the field and taking care of the football. He displayed a 75% completion percentage and he didn’t throw any interceptions.

The veteran backup would go on to make two appearances this season (one start), as well. He threw for 277 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In his lone start, Rudolph led his team to a tie with the three-win Detroit Lions squad. The young QB told the press after the game that his performance wasn’t “good enough”. He did throw a real head-scratching interception to the Lions, but he did make some magic happen with 242 passing yards and a touchdown.

Mason Rudolph may not be the next Patrick Mahomes or Josh Allen, but he can show that he’s made significant growth as a starting QB in training camp. He is also the favorite to be the next Steelers starting QB due to his combination of talent and “experience” with the Steelers offense. The NFL world witnessed Jameis Winston become a more talented, sharper QB after sitting behind Drew Brees in New Orleans. I wouldn’t say it’s wishful thinking to believe that Rudolph could have a similar outcome as a fourth-year player in 2021 that Winston had in 2021 as the Saints new starting QB.

Dwayne Haskins

Dwayne Haskins was a rockstar in college and that was evident with his 14-1 record in college. In 2018, Haskins placed third in Heisman voting. Kyler Murray would go on to win the award and get selected by the Arizona Cardinals first overall in 2019.

The former Ohio State Buckeye has been on a roller coaster ride in the professional football league thus far. The former 15th overall pick in 2019 flamed out of Washington after being given countless games as the starting QB. He had a rough rookie year, which is arguably expected from first year QBs in a lackluster system. Still, Haskins showed little growth and brought no spark to the Washington offense in year two. Matter, in fact, Haskins clearly regressed in year two as the starter. The former OSU QB threw 5 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, and unveiled a mere 6 yards per completion. Haskins was also ripped by former Washington great Joe Theisman and many media outlets for taking selfies with the crowd during the final seconds of a game. Haskins was supposed to be on the field taking a knee in victory formation, but he was taking in the glory too soon with the fans. Case Keenum had to run onto the field to close out the big win.

Haskins was axed by the no-nonsense coach Ron Rivera and left stranded without a home post-2020 season. The QB that was widely seen as a bust needed to find a program that could help utilize his physical gifts and a location that could help churn out a more robust work ethic. Thankfully, he founded the perfect team and mentor with the Pittsburgh Steelers and Mike Tomlin. The Steelers signed Haskins to a one-year, $850,000 deal in the 2021 offseason.

Haskins showed an impressive 86.8 QBR in the 2021 preseason while having 2 passing touchdowns and one interception. Unfortunately, he did have more hiccups in the 2021 season. Haskins has struggled with the repetitive professionalism required of being a professional athlete. In the Week 10 pre-game, Haskins was “checking his phone” and “throwing lousy passes”. It was clearly frustrating for the Steelers organization and fanbase to witness Haskins Haskins’s attitude in Week 10 after they gave him a second opportunity. Nonetheless, it was one notable error made by the hopeful QB in the 18 week season.

Haskins still flashed his excellence in practice sessions throughout the 2021 season. He did nicely catch the attention of the Steelers coaching staff and Tomlin from his overall effort in the 2021-2022 season. Tomlin clearly feels that Haskins has a real shot to be the next starting QB and that he’s put the work in 2021 to show them he’s grown as a football player and individual. It seems concrete that Dwayne Haskins will reunite with the Steelers on another “one-year prove-it deal”.

Verdict

Tomlin is a classy coach and he does believe that Haskins or Rudolph should be given the opportunity for the starting nod. With that said, it would be logical for the Steelers to add a QB in free agency or the draft. I don’t foresee the Steelers breaking the bank for a free agent QB, but they may add a veteran QB like Marcus Mariota or Andy Dalton to compete for the starting gig. Tomlin did say he wants a “mobile” QB to start moving forward. Mariota was arguably a Top 3 backup QB in 2021 for the Las Vegas Raiders and he’s only 28 years old.

Mariota had three straight winning seasons for the Tennessee Titans in 2016, 2017, and 2018. The former Oregon Duck was exceptional in his second season where he threw 26 touchdowns to nine interceptions. The once Titans QB lost his gig to the talented Ryan Tannehill, who is now yielding a Titans squad that has the first seed in the AFC. Mariota wasn’t completely thrown in the doghouse for poor performance. He lost the keys to the offense to a quality AFC quarterback. Mariota may also be a smart addition if the Steelers want to rotate him in for certain packages that include him running with the football. Mariota could help lessen the load with a younger QB by getting involved as a rotational QB.

If the Steelers have an opportunity to draft a Matt Corral from Ole Miss in round one, they should strike and groom him to be the future starting QB. If Corral isn’t a future Steeler, I’d be convinced that Rudolph is a better option than a Day 2 or Day 3 rookie QB in 2021. It isn’t clear by any means which QB will join the Steelers QB room, but Mariota, Dalton, or Corral would be smart 2021 starting options and profiles that could push Rudolph for the keys to the Ferrari.

I’d personally like to see Mariota added to the Steelers. He would be a great value pickup and he can be the “mobile” QB Tomlin desires. The Steelers also have the firepower and weapons to elevate Mariota’s passing game. If Rudolph does show enough ability and potential to be a “quality” starting QB, the Steelers can get creative and incorporate Mariota in a similar way that the Saints use Taysom Hill at QB. Mitchell Trubisky could be a sleeper option, as he displays a pleasant combination of athletic ability, arm talent, and age.

I’d love to see the Steelers select Matt Corral or make a trade up in the first round for Corral. The Ole Miss stud doesn’t only exhibit amazing accuracy, but he’s been timed at a 4.65 in the 40-yard dash. He has a modest, thick frame, as well. He isn’t 6’6 or even 6’4, but he does have a similar frame as Baker Mayfield and Aaron Rodgers (6’2, 205).

I don’t expect a team like the New Orleans Saints or Houston Texans to pick Corral. I feel confident that Sean Payton will want Russell Wilson or the proven Jameis Winston to capitalize off the talent they still have on the roster. The Steelers should be very pleased if they could have Mariota, Corral, Rudolph, and potentially Haskins in the QB room. The Steelers aren’t paying a fortune for Rudolph (contract expires in 2023) and Mariota wouldn’t demand money like Jameis Winston, so they could absolutely afford to have Mariota and Corral added to the roster.

The comparisons between the two current Steelers QBs are still fascinating in themselves. Haskins has mega arm talent, but Rudolph isn’t short on arm strength himself. The difference is that Rudolph can move the football consistently down the field and take care of the football better than the former Washington QB. Haskins has had notorious low YPC and he’s struggled with completing check-down passes to move the chain. Haskins will have to make special plays and take care of the football very well if he wants a chance to win the starting role. A positive note for Haskins is that he will have the toys (JuJu Smith-Schuster, Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, Chase Claypool) to do so. We saw Winston light up the Jacksonville Jaguars defense with Marquez Callaway in the 2021 preseason and that was a big reason why he won the Saints QB competition against Taysom Hill. Haskins will have to be perfect throwing the ball down the field, make very few mistakes, and be consistent with his attitude if he wants to be the face of the franchise. If Haskins doesn’t win the competition but is able to show growth, he should still be positive about taking positive strides in his somewhat resurrected, young career.

All in all, I believe Rudolph has churned out improvements in his game well and he’s more mature than Haskins at this stage. Rudolph is clearly the Day 1 starter right now and he would be leading the team out of the tunnel if the season started today. I’d also be shocked if Rudolph isn’t the initial starting QB in training camp, even if a free agent QB like Mariota or first-round pick in Corral is added.

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“I didn’t play well enough at the end of the season,” Roethlisberger said. “It’s no secret, and I’ll be the first to point the finger at myself. When the ball is in your hand every play, you have to make plays and play better football. I just felt like I had more in the tank and felt disappointed about the way the season ended. I wanted to let (the Steelers) know that if they wanted me back, I felt like I could give them everything I’ve got.”

Entering into the 2020 NFL season and coming off of major arm surgery, expectations for Ben Roethlisberger were not very high. Throughout most of 2020, Roethlisberger exceeded those expectations, but he did struggle towards the end of the season. Passing the football over 600 times might have had something to do with that, but the fledgling finish to the season raised some doubts about Ben. Can he still do it? Were the failings at the end of the year an indicator of someone who was throwing the ball too much, or of someone who just cannot throw the ball as well anymore?

Perhaps. Perhaps not. But Ben is not preparing like it.

“I’m going to approach this like I do every season like it’s my last,” Roethlisberger said. “Every single play in the game of football could be your last ”¦ every game could be your last. I’ve never looked toward the future. I’ve always looked toward the right here and now. I’m going to give it everything I have to win a Super Bowl this year because it’s the most important year for any of us.”

Ben is approaching the 2021 NFL season the right way. If everything goes well, where does that place him? Top 10 quarterback? And if it does not go well, bottom 25? The answer is more in between.

Ben Roethlisberger’s Ceiling

“Ben Roethlisberger says he expects more from his arm this year, a full extra year off of surgery. Said not having to rehab also affected his approach this winter: “I took a lot of time off from throwing this off-season. I really hope and pray it will pay dividends.” ”” Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) June 1, 2021

Ben struggled at the end of 2020. There is no way around that. But it does make sense that he might. He was coming off major elbow surgery in his throwing arm. And the offense required him to pass the ball over 600 times, which was the most in the league. The reason for that was twofold. One, the Steelers were the worst team in the NFL at running the ball. So instead of running the ball, the Steelers would rely on short, quick, passes and after the catch yards. Second, the now-without-a-job Randy Fichtner, the Steelers offensive coordinator in 2020, did not exactly help Ben by limiting his passes. Fichtner would keep calling those short passes, only continuing to wear down Ben’s freshly reconstructed elbow.

Enter Najee Harris and a completely remolded offensive line. Ben will not have to rely on those quick passes anymore. Najee Harris will tote the ball, and he will get the ball, a lot. 325 touches is not an unreasonable figure, and he could very well go over that number. So, with Roethlisberger no longer relying on his arm as a substitute for the run game, his arm will get more rest. And like I indicate earlier, he is already resting his arm.

Ben will have more passes with zip, and less throws that float in the air as a result of this. His arm strength is not something to be worried about, and that is not what he struggled with in 2021. He struggled with downfield accuracy. However, for someone who has to get used to basically a new elbow, that might be expected. And with a year to regain his familiarity with that elbow, to get used to throwing downfield again, it’s reasonable to expect that he might throw the ball better downfield in 2021.

The run game will help him with that, he will be able to use play-action effectively because defenses will be keying in on the run. His arm will be fresh and well-rested. Something that it was not entering into the 2020 season. So, what his ceiling? Taking into account his weapons, a new offensive coordinator, and a new running back, it’s pretty high. I expect Chase Claypool to take a second-year jump that Mike Tomlin expects from his players. Najee Harris is also a great pass-catching back, so he will receive more dump-off passes than his predecessors used to. The new offensive coordinator, Matt Canada has already said: “We’re gonna do what Ben wants to do and how Ben wants to do it,” Canada said Tuesday. “Our job is getting every player in position to make plays. There are changes with terminology. That’s an adjustment for Ben. He’s been great in learning it. Doing really well with it. He has adapted easily as we all knew we would.”

Canada is going to put Ben in a position to win. I think it’s reasonable to expect that Ben will pass for over 4,700 yards and 33 touchdowns. And his interception’s will probably come in around seven. Passing the ball less, but more effectively is going to be the name of the game for Ben in 2021. He won’t fall off at the end, either. No, he wont win MVP. But he will do more than enough for the Steelers. If I had to place him on a tier for 2021, I would say 10-12th best.

Ben Roethlisberger’s Floor

“Matchups are how you win football games,” Canada continued. “It starts with the quarterback. What does he do well? What does he like? What does he see? What is good to his eye in the passing game? Then we build off of that. That’s what we are gonna do. His voice. His vision. What he sees will be what we’ll do.”

Like I noted earlier, the offense in 2021 for Ben Roethlisberger is going to be tailored for him, and to fit his strengths and weaknesses. More runs, fewer short passes, and designed plays to keep Ben upright, but not passes that are predictable. Roethlisberger notes that he has already started practicing this new offense that Canada is implementing.

“We have gone under center,” Roethlisberger said during organized team activities on June 1. “We have shotgun. He has more motion. But I feel like that is where the NFL is going right now, a lot of the jet sweep motions and stuff. I can go under center. I never said I didn’t like it. We will be in the gun, we will move. We will throw a lot of different looks and schemes and things at people and see what works.”

So, how does this pertain to Roethlisberger’s floor? Well, if the offense is tailored to fit him, he can only be so bad. He is surrounded by talent around him at skill positions. Najee Harris can do anything and everything that Ben will need. Harris will be like Le’veon Bell for Roethlisberger, someone that he can rely on whenever things go south. That ensures that Ben won’t be throwing the ball into triple coverage, trying to make a play. And his offensive line has the talent and potential to make sure that he does not get killed in the backfield.

Roethlisberger won’t have to get the ball out at the fastest pace in the NFL either. Those basic things, a new offense tailored to him, and a new running back who he can rely on, will ensure that he always has some options, and won’t be trying to do too much.

As a result, his floor for 2021 comes in at 4,00 yards, and 25 touchdown passes. Maybe he throws more interceptions than usual, like 13 in this prediction. That would not be unreasonable to expect from him, he has thrown for more than that in a season not a few times.

In either scenario, Ben is at worst a top 20 quarterback, and at best, fringe top-10 quarterback. Now, maybe he could crack the top eight. If he does, than he would really be exceeding expectations. But that is not a reasonable ceiling. Still, Ben will be more than good enough for the Steelers in 2021. Perhaps even great.

The post Ben Roethlisberger’s ceiling and floor for 2021 appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

It is no secret in Pittsburgh that they will be on the market for a franchise QB sooner rather than later. Ben Roethlisberger has started to decline, and after an abysmal playoff performance he showed last year in their loss to the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers should be studying this draft class up and down for a quarterback.

Roethlisberger threw for 3,803 yards, 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions and completed 65.6% of his passes last season. He played in 15 games and was much healthier than the prior season. Those statistics are not bad by any means, but after his four interception, playoff loss to their divisional rival, the end is nearing for Roethlisberger. His mobility and accuracy took another dip last year, and at 39 years old, he does not have much left in the tank.

His decline forced the Steelers to restructure his contract, and bring in Dwayne Haskins. Haskins struggled mightily in Washington, and a fresh start could be the motivating factor that forces him to improve. The Steelers will not bank on Haskins becoming the franchise QB, and they should focus on finding the next QB to lead this organization in the 2022 NFL Draft.

The Steelers will most likely have a pick in the latter portion of the draft, considering how good they have been under Mike Tomlin and the pieces they have in place. This should not deter them from trading up into the top five if they fall in love with one of the QB prospects.

These are three of the top prospects that the Steelers should target in next year’s NFL Draft.

1. Sam Howell, North Carolina

Drafting a QB from North Carolina is a terrifying proposition after seeing how the Mitchell Trubisky experiment ended in Chicago. Nevertheless, Sam Howell is a much different prospect, and should be evaluated as such. He walked on campus as a true freshman and earned the starting job at North Carolina, and threw for 3,641 yards, 38 touchdowns and seven interceptions. That is astounding for a true freshman, and he was still able to improve as a sophomore after a slow start to the season. He drastically improved his accuracy, while completing 68.1% of his passes as a sophomore compared to 61.4% as a freshman. His yards per attempt jumped to 10.3 compared to 8.6 as a freshman. Howell is one of the frontrunners for the Heisman and will be in the conversation for the number one pick in the draft. He has the arm talent and leadership abilities to be a franchise QB, and he would be a great fit for the Steelers system.

2. Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma

Spencer Rattler is more athletic and mobile than Howell. With the track record that Oklahoma head coach, Lincoln Riley, has with improving quarterbacks, Rattler could have a dominant season and easily be the number one pick in the draft. He is a very accurate QB, completing 67.5% of his passes in his first year starting. In 11 games, he threw for 3,031 yards, 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions. The Sooners should be much improved this season, and we may see how Rattler handles himself on the big stage during the college football playoffs. Now that Rattler is the face of the Oklahoma football team, he needs to continue to develop his leadership skills, and decision making. If he can improve in his second season, and learn under Riley, Rattler could be the face of an NFL franchise for the next 10-15 years, and the Steelers would be a perfect fit.

3. Kedon Slovis, USC

Last season was a disaster for the Pac-12, due to the covid issues that they dealt with, which makes this upcoming season huge for USC star QB, Kedon Slovis. He stepped in as a freshman and was forced to play due to their starting QB getting injured, and he never looked back. In his career thus far, he has completed 70% of his passes, for 5,423 yards, 47 touchdowns and 16 interceptions. All of that production is in just 18 games, and Slovis should improve dramatically with a full offseason in preparation for a full season. Slovis worked with QB coaches, Jordan Palmer and Tom House to improve his mechanics and arm talent during the offseason. He is already extremely accurate and must improve his ability to throw the ball down field and his decision making. Slovis could be a star in the making, and he would be a match made in heaven for the Steelers.

Considering all these QBs will most likely go in the top ten in next year’s draft, the Steelers will undoubtedly have to trade up to grab one of them. If the Steelers are willing to do that, and mortgage some future first round picks, they will have their new franchise QB in place for years to come.

The post 2022 QB Draft Targets for the Steelers appeared first on Pro Football Mania.

By: Reese Nasser

Ben Roethlisberger has been doing this football thing for a long time now, and at a very high level. He has achieved nearly every accolade possible and in his now 18th season, Roethlisberger will look to prove that he is still capable of playing and making an impact. He has played in 233 games for the Pittsburgh Steelers and has led them to two super bowl victories. 

But as time has progressed, a new wave of quarterbacks have arrived in the AFC West. Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, Baker Mayfield of the Cleveland Browns, and Joe Burrow of the Cincinnati Bengals are all fighting for the top spot in the division. But is it Roethlisberger’s to lose? Where does he rank among the four quarterbacks within his division? Let’s take a look?

4. Joe Burrow, Cincinnati Bengals

The second-year pro will have a lot to prove this season. But, after coming off of a torn ACL in his rookie season and only appearing just 10 games, he hasn’t proven to be better than any other quarterback within his division just yet. 

Burrow did show real promise in his rookie season and can’t be discounted due to injury. The pace that he was on during his rookie season would have been the greatest in Bengals history for a first-year quarterback. 

He has also proven to be a true leader for this Bengals team. He was a captain by week one and had the entire team supporting him all throughout his rookie season. 

With a strong second-year, Burrow should and will rise to a higher spot than fourth best in the division. 

3. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers

The 39-year old quarterback threw for 26 touchdowns but also had 15 turnovers. The season also started out very well for the team as a whole as Big Ben led them 11 straight wins. 

But as the season reached the end, the Steelers team began to look much different. Over the last four games, Roethlisberger threw for eight touchdowns but also added four interceptions. 

In the Steelers only postseason game, Big Ben was outdueled by the younger Browns quarterback Baker Mayfield. Big Ben threw four touchdowns but also four interceptions. While it may not have been an age issue, Big Ben did look different at points this season. 

The Steelers constructed the offense to be both faster and shorter. While it worked, it somewhat eliminated the options on offense. This puts Big Ben as the third best quarterback in this division.

2. Baker Mayfield, Cleveland Browns

Baker Mayfield proved to be a strong leader for this Cleveland Browns team. He played consistently throughout much of the season and was responsible for 27 total touchdowns. His biggest issue was turnovers but over the last nine regular season games, he threw only one interception.

The turn around that he made after week nine is worth noting. He looked like a completely different quarterback when he was on the field and his control of the team was clear. 

In the wild card round of the playoffs, Mayfield threw three touchdowns in a strong showing against the Steelers. He also played a valiant game against the Kansas City Chiefs that ended in a 22-17 loss. 

Baker will look to have a big 2021 season and a super bowl will be on the mind of everyone in the Browns organization. He has proven to not only be a top quarterback in the AFC West but also within the entire NFL. 

1. Lamar Jackson. Baltimore Ravens 

The 2019 MVP comes in as the #1 quarterback in the AFC West. Jackson has proved to be a top quarterback in the NFL and has consistently led the Baltimore Ravens to success. 

In 2020, Jackson and the Ravens had an 11-5 regular season. Their season came to an end in the divisional round to the Buffalo Bills. This was one of the few games where Jackson appeared average and he and the rest of the Ravens struggled with a strong Bills team.

Throughout the 2020 season, Jackson showed that 2019 was no fluke. He threw for 26 touchdowns and 2,757 yards. He also added another seven touchdowns on the ground and ran for over 1,000 yards. 

He led the division in touchdowns and achieved this success while having a receiving core that ranked near the bottom of the league. 

Now that the Ravens added two strong receivers in the draft, Rashod Bateman and Tylan Wallace, you can expect to see an even bigger season out of Lamar in 2021. His potential, along with the rest of the Ravens, could be unmatched. 

Big Ben has had a long and successful career but younger quarterbacks are slowly starting to catch up and surpass. While 2021 could be a resurgence, one last push, he is still the third best quarterback in this division, at least for now. 

The post Where does Big Ben rank among QBs in the division? appeared first on Pro Football Mania.