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Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, through the first 14 seasons in the league, has proven to be one of the league's top quarterbacks.
Roethlisberger continues to play at an elite level that's helped the Steelers remain in the picture as a legitimate Super Bowl contender. However, former NFL quarterback and current NFL Network analyst, David Carr, has voiced that he believes the 36-year-old will no longer perform like a top-10 player at his position (h/t Tim Benz of Triblive.com).
“Why is Ben Roethlisberger off my list? Yes, he's a future Hall of Famer, and there's no doubt he can still help the Steelers. But, he has the most talented skill players in the league on his unit, and that pair — Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell — makes him look great 14 seasons in. I don't think Big Ben could win a ton of games without them at this stage in his career.”
Roethlisberger is coming off yet another highly productive season that saw him earn his sixth Pro Bowl selection after recording 4,251 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes with a 64.2 completion rate and a 93.4 passer rating. This was his fifth season with more than 4,000 passing yards and seventh with more than 25 passing touchdowns.
Carr's comments likely hinge on the fact that he believes that the wear and tear from playing 14 years in the league will eventually catch up to Roethlisberger to affect his play. He has proven, throughout his career, that he can be a durable player, playing through numerous injuries.
There is no certainty that he will continue to perform at a high-level next season, but the Steelers are hoping that he can lead the charge once again for their explosive offense. It is something that time will only tell if Carr's assessment is spot on or that Roethlisberger still has plenty of gas left in the tank.
