Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger only needs 156 yards passing yards Sunday in the season opener against the Tennessee Titans to hit 30,000 for his career, but that number is the furthest thing from his mind right now.
“You know, I’ve never been one about individual goals,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday. “It’s more about the team to me. To me those are things I’ll look back on when I’m done. When I’m done with my career I’ll look back and think about how great it might’ve been.”
Should Roethlisberger indeed hit 30,000 this Sunday, he will pass former Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham on the all-time NFL career passing yards list. Cunningham threw for 29,979 yards from 1985-2001.
Should the Steelers quarterback throw for 4,000 yards this season, he would move into 23rd place on the all-time list ahead of John Hadl, who played for several teams from 1962-1977.
One thing to keep in mind, however, is that Arizona Cardinals quarterback Carson Palmer, who just so happens to now play for Bruce Arians, enters the 2013 season just 379 yards behind Roethlisberger.
If Roethlisberger stays protected and healthy this season, he has to be considered a candidate to win the MVP award. The 30-year-old quarterback was on an MVP pace last year prior to getting injured against the Kansas City Chiefs and now that he has had a full year to work with offensive coordinator Todd Haley, he figures to get off to another great start in 2013.
