{"id":239382,"date":"2025-07-27T04:43:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-27T04:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/239382\/"},"modified":"2025-07-27T04:43:12","modified_gmt":"2025-07-27T04:43:12","slug":"art-rooney-ii-calls-ben-roethlisberger-top-10-qb-of-all-time","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/239382\/","title":{"rendered":"Art Rooney II Calls Ben Roethlisberger ‘Top 10’ QB Of All Time"},"content":{"rendered":"

After their dynasty in the 1970s ended, the Pittsburgh Steelers endured a long drought without a Super Bowl victory. However, that all changed in 2005 when the team won Super Bowl XL. Much of that was thanks to a young Ben Roethlisberger. While he didn\u2019t perform great in that Super Bowl, Roethlisberger would go on to put together a career worthy of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Recently, he was announced as a member of the Steelers\u2019 2025 Hall of Honor class,<\/a> and Art Rooney II offered some high praise for him.<\/p>\n

\u201cBen [Roethlisberger], he\u2019ll be going to Canton in a year or two,\u201d Rooney said Saturday via radio station 93.7 The Fan.<\/a> \u201cOne of our great players of all time. Rewrote the record book for the Steelers and got us two more Super Bowl trophies. Top 10 player of all time at his position. Obviously, a very deserving member of the Hall of Honor this year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Roethlisberger\u2019s numbers are certainly deserving of the Hall of Fame.<\/a> Over his 18-year career, he put up 64,088 passing yards, 418 passing touchdowns, six Pro Bowls, and the Rookie of the Year award in 2004. Also, he\u2019s a two-time Super Bowl champ, orchestrating one of the best drives in Super Bowl history.<\/p>\n

Roethlisberger came out of the gate hot, too. While he wasn\u2019t originally supposed to start during his rookie year, an injury to Tommy Maddox changed those plans. After that, Roethlisberger never looked back, putting on a show that year while leading the Steelers to a record of 15-1.<\/p>\n

As Rooney explains,<\/a> it was Roethlisberger\u2019s performance in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys during his rookie year that really opened people\u2019s eyes about his potential.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Dallas, his rookie season. He had been playing well, but that game, you could just see him becoming what we were hoping for. Just threw a couple passes in that game. I remember Jerry Jones saw me a few weeks later and said, \u2018You\u2019ve got a quarterback. \u2018And I said, \u2018Yeah, we do.’\u201d<\/p>\n

The Steelers won that game 24-20, with Roethlisberger completing 21 of his 25 passes for 193 yards, two touchdowns, and zero interceptions. It was an excellent performance, and one of the first signs that Roethlisberger could become an all-time great.<\/p>\n

Considering the history of NFL quarterbacks, being a top-10 player of all time at that position is difficult. That Roethlisberger can even be mentioned in that conversation is an achievement.<\/p>\n

Also, consider the era he played in. During a time when Tom Brady, Peyton Manning, Aaron Rodgers, and Drew Brees were in their primes, Roethlisberger still stood out, winning two championships. While the Steelers had great teams during that era, they wouldn\u2019t have been as good without Roethlisberger. He was the missing piece.<\/p>\n

However, not everyone is so sure of<\/a> Roethlisberger\u2019s legacy. He\u2019ll be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027, but some have questioned whether or not he should go in during his first time on the ballot.<\/p>\n

If it were up to Rooney. Roethlisberger would be in Canton, Ohio at the first possible moment. Roethlisberger\u2019s spot in the Hall of Fame feels secure, but nothing is guaranteed. His resum\u00e9 looks like that of a first-ballot Hall of Famer, and he should receive that honor.<\/a> For now, he\u2019ll have to settle for a spot in the Steelers\u2019 Hall of Honor.<\/p>\n