Did you know, out of the eight Super Bowl appearances the Pittsburgh Steelers have been in all-time, seven of them had just two quarterbacks under center? It was the legendary Terry Bradshaw, who was a part of the Steelers from 1970 to 1983, and Ben Roethlisberger, who played for Steeles from 2004 to 2021. He announced his retirement from NFL in January 2022.
Both of these quarterbacks were successful and made a great name for themselves. In fact, both are considered rivals of each other. How? Steeler Nation compares both of them and evaluate who was better than the other to this day.
Well, today we too will dive into the debate and come to a constructive conclusion.
A Glimpse of the Illustrious Careers of Steelers' Quarterbacks, Roethlisberger and Bradshaw
To date, Pittsburgh has had two extraordinary quarterbacks in Roethlisberger and Bradshaw. Let us study the career of both of these exceptional players.
First up, Bradshaw.
Terry Paxton Bradshaw was the first overall pick in the 1970 NFL Draft. During his first season with the Steelers, Bradshaw was ridiculed for his rural roots and erratic matches. However, he proved his worth in a matter of a few years. He led Pittsburgh to eight AFC Central Championships and proved as an asset by winning four Super Bowl titles. Bradshaw also won Super Bowl MVP twice.
Terry Bradshaw (#12) | Behind the Steel Curtain
Bradshaw was named the NFL’s Most Valuable Player in 1978 and became the NFL's passing touchdowns leader in 1978 and 1982. Sports Illustrated in 1979 named him “Sportsman of the Year” as well. Today, Bradshaw is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, College Football Hall of Fame, and Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor. He was the recipient of the Bert Bell Award, which he received in 1978.
When it comes to his stats, Bradshaw threw for 212 touchdowns, 210 interceptions, 27,989 passing yards, 32 rushing touchdowns, and 2,257 rushing yards. Bradshaw had a 70.9 passer rating.
Next up, Roethlisberger.
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. also known as “Big Ben” spent his collegiate career with the Miami (OH) RedHawks. During his time in college, Roethlisberger was named Freshman of the Year, Most Valuable Player, and Offensive Player of the Year.
In the 2004 NFL Draft, Roethlisberger was drafted just behind Eli Manning. When the San Diego Chargers drafted Manning, it was speculated that Roethlisberger would be drafted by New York Giants. But the Giants drafted Philip Rivers as a part of the trade deal. This sent Manning to the Giants and Rivers to the Chargers. Thus, Pittsburgh got the chance and they selected Roethlisberger as 11th overall.
Roethlisberger led the Steelers to two Super Bowl victories during his time with the franchise. He was also named NFL Rookie of the Year in 2004. He was part of the PFWA All-Rookie Team in 2004, went to the Pro Bowl six times, and was named NFL Passing Yards Leader twice.
Ben Roethlisberger (#7) | Gene J. Puskar / AP
Roethlisberger holds the record for Most Career 500-Yard Passing games, Most Career Perfect Passer Rating Games, and “Most Completions in a Regular or Post Season Game.”
His career in NFL statistics speaks for itself. He has 8,443 passing attempts, 418 touchdowns, 211 interceptions, and 64,088 passing yards. He also had a 93.5 passer rating.
After the retirement of Bradshaw, the Steelers didn’t have any worthful quarterbacks for a long time. After Big Ben joined Steelers, they regained their past glory.
Similarities between the two quarterbacks?
One of the biggest similarities between both stars is their arm strength. Similar to Major League Baseball star Nolan Ryan, both Bradshaw and Roethlisberger's strong arms compare to the pitching grip and strength of Ryan. Similar to how hard Nolan Ryan threw in baseball, both Bradshaw and Roethlisberger had cannons for an arm. Most would agree that Bradshaw had a little more arm strength than Roethlisberger.
Bradshaw had a 13 year career in Pittsburgh, while Roethlisberger played for 18 seasons. Roethlisberger has the slight edge in career awards and records. Bradshaw is part of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, whereas, Roethlisberger would be eligible for it in 2027. As mentioned earlier, Bradshaw however, is part of the College Football Hall of Fame, and Roethlisberger isn’t.
Let’s be honest! Both Roethlisberger and Bradshaw deserve praise and applause for being incredible quarterbacks on the same team during different years. Even Steeler Nation has to agree about their efforts and contributions!
With a side-by-side comparison however, Roethlisberger is ahead of Bradshaw. Roethlisberger was a phenomenal quarterback and so was Bradshaw, but critics believe that Roethlisberger could have been a phenomenal player if he played in the Terry Bradshaw era. The same cannot be said for Bradshaw.
Final Verdict
By no means are we are indicating that Bradshaw couldn’t be a successful quarterback in the modern National Football League, but it's likely he would be more of a serviceable game manager. The same however cannot be spoken for Roethlisberger.
Both are great quarterbacks who had phenomenal career. But our slight vote is for Ben Roethlisberger for sure!
What do yinz think? Roethlisberger or Bradshaw? Click to comment below!
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