If you’re a big, strong, fearless quarterback coming out of the NFL Draft and happen to be tough as nails, chances are you’re going to find yourself compared to future Hall of Fame quarterback and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger.
That’s where Miami (Fla.) quarterback and possible No. 1 overall pick Cam Ward finds himself, thanks to the comparison made by Pro Football Focus draft analyst Trevor Sikkema.
In a piece for PFF.com Thursday morning making comparisons for the top 20 prospects on his board, Sikkema linked Ward to Roethlisberger due to his unorthodox style, mobility, and fearlessness pushing the ball down the field.
“Ward is an unorthodox gunslinger, and the NFL comparison my mind keeps going back to is Ben Roethlisberger. Both had some scoot with their escapability, but you wouldn’t exactly call them mobile,” Sikkema writes, according to PFF.com. “Both were also fearless in pushing the ball deep down the field. It’s a high-end comparison, but I believe Ward sees the game like Big Ben did.”
That is quite the comparison from Sikkema for Ward, who had just one season at Miami after two great seasons at Washington State, where he threw for 6,963 yards and 48 touchdowns compared to just 16 interceptions. That one season at Miami was quite dominant, though, as he had the best season for a QB in program history, earning a trip to New York for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
This isn’t the first time a young quarterback coming out of college has been compared to Roethlisberger for build and play style. Reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen of the Buffalo Bills has been compared to Roethlisberger throughout his career due to his size, strength, toughness and backyard football style of play.
Even former North Carolina quarterback and current Patriots QB Drake Maye was compared to Roethlisberger at least twice last offseason leading up to the 2024 NFL Draft, where he went No. 3 overall to New England.
With Ward, the size isn’t as close to Roethlisberger as Ward is listed at 6-2, 223 pounds, while Roethlisberger was listed at 6-5, 240 pounds throughout his Steelers career. Roethlisberger was known for being tough to sack and was able to drag defenders around and make plays in the pocket. The play against Terrell Suggs to throw an incompletion is the first one that comes to mind.
It remains to be seen if Ward is as strong as Roethlisberger was, but the play style is certainly there. Ward likes to freelance and make plays and has a gunslinger’s mentality, allowing him to push the ball down the field without fear and take risks with some throws while hunting splash plays.
Behind that gunslinger mentality with a big, strong arm and his ability to create out of structure, Ward could find himself landing at No. 1 overall with the Tennessee Titans, where a better comparison might be to former Titans great Steve McNair. But it’s rather eye-opening seeing him compared to a future Hall of Famer like Roethlisberger.
