Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback situation has been challenging ever since Ben Roethlisberger hung up his cleats. Finding stability at the position has proven to be no easy task for a franchise that has long been defined by its leadership under center. The two best quarterbacks in Steelers history are the ones responsible for all six of the team’s Super Bowl titles.
Malcolm Emmons / USA TODAY Sports
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Terry Bradshaw (12) talks to head coach Chuck Noll on the sidelines.
Terry Bradshaw led Pittsburgh to four championships during the 1970s, establishing the Steelers as an NFL dynasty, while Roethlisberger guided the franchise to two more in the 2000s and 2010s, solidifying his place among the greats in team history. Even with his four Super Bowl rings and a spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Bradshaw has never shied away from being candid about the challenges of today’s game.
In an article published by OutKick, Bradshaw revealed that he believes he would not have succeeded in the modern NFL. The Hall of Famer pointed to the speed of the game, the complexity of defenses, and the heightened scrutiny placed on quarterbacks in the social media era as reasons he might have struggled. His comments serve as a rare moment of humility from one of the most accomplished players in league history.
"I was nowhere emotionally ready for the NFL, intellectually ready for the NFL. I had way too much to learn, way too much growing up to do that," Bradshaw says. "If Terry Bradshaw that you know today went into the NFL, or if you take me from the '70s and put that Terry Bradshaw in the NFL today, I would not have made it. I’d have been cut. I’d have been out of the league by my third year. That’s how bad I was playing. That’s how up and down my career went."
Bradshaw’s admission offers an interesting reflection on how much the NFL has evolved over the decades.
NFL Films
Steelers' Terry Bradshaw rolls out to throw the ball during the '70s.
The modern game demands precision, mobility, and adaptability from quarterbacks in ways that differ greatly from the bruising, run-heavy style of the 1970s.
"So I just thought I was really going to be a failure," Bradshaw says. "Seriously, I was a failure. I'm five years in the league and I remember sitting in my apartment, and I was crying. I couldn't understand why I was crying. I'm a teddy bear anyway. I'm a real emotional guy, and I was just, just praying to God, you know, help me, help me, help me handle this. I can't handle this. Help me handle this situation. It's devastating to me because I'd always, I'd always been good. And now I wasn't. And I got through praying that night and I went to bed and I got up and the next morning when I went to practice, I was a different person. Nothing bothered me. I was totally at peace when I got to play. Played well and never lost a job again."
While Bradshaw and Roethlisberger both defined eras of Steelers football through toughness and leadership, their legacies now stand in stark contrast to the challenges Pittsburgh faces today in finding its next franchise quarterback. The Steelers’ ongoing search for stability at the position underscores just how rare it is to find another leader capable of carrying the same legacy that Bradshaw and Roethlisberger left behind.
Imagine Steelers Draft Terry Bradshaw Instead Of Kenny Pickett
This is a strange thought experiment, but based on what Bradshaw is trying to articulate, it makes sense. The Steelers drafted quarterback Kenny Pickett in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft with hopes that he would become the next great Steelers quarterback.
Facebook / Official Terry Bradshaw
Steelers' Terry Bradshaw hugs Kenny Pickett during an autograph event.
However, after just two seasons, that experiment failed. It took Bradshaw five seasons to truly find his footing, and by his own admission, that timeline would not fly in today’s NFL. In the modern era, where patience is scarce and coaches are fired quickly, it’s hard to imagine a team giving a quarterback five years to develop the way Pittsburgh once did with Bradshaw.
Do you believe that Terry Bradshaw would have been a top quarterback in the modern NFL? Why or why not? Let us know in the comments below! Please feel free to share your Steelers takes with me on X @anthonyghalkias and follow me. I will respond!
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