Finding a franchise quarterback in the NFL is not easy. The Pittsburgh Steelers know that all too well. They’re struggling to find their successor to Ben Roethlisberger. It’s similar to when the Steelers were trying to find Terry Bradshaw’s replacement. That search took over 20 years, with the Steelers landing Roethlisberger with the 11th pick in the 2004 draft. Former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert talked about how everything aligned during the draft that changed the franchise’s fortunes.
“It kind of hit at the right time because there was three Hall of Fame quarterbacks, Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers and Ben,” Colbert said of the Steelers’ last losing season during an appearance Friday on The Lyons Share Podcast. “We were fortunate enough to get Ben at number 11 that year.
“We had no confidence that that was going to happen. We were very, very fortunate that a Hall of Fame quarterback made it down that far on the road.”
It isn’t surprising to hear that the Steelers weren’t prepared for Roethlisberger to fall to them. While Manning and Rivers were both gone within the top four picks, there were still six really bad teams standing between Roethlisberger and the Steelers. That wait had to feel like an eternity for Colbert and Co.
That’s especially true because the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers’ division rival, held the sixth overall pick. Roethlisberger is an Ohio native, so it would’ve made sense for the Browns to target him. Instead, they passed, allowing Roethlisberger to take a slight tumble down the draft board and fall into Pittsburgh’s lap.
According to multiple accounts, it didn’t seem like the Steelers had factored Roethlisberger into their draft day plans. Tommy Maddox was reportedly upset that the Steelers selected Roethlisberger, feeling like they indicated to him that he was their quarterback of the future. Going into that draft, it seemed like the Steelers were going to target an offensive lineman.
Then, Roethlisberger fell right into their lap. At that point, they couldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth. In hindsight, they easily made the right decision. Roethlisberger helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls while building a Hall of Fame career.
Sometimes, that’s just the way things go. The Steelers had a plan, but everything changed when Roethlisberger fell to them. They were fortunate, and it changed their franchise. It isn’t often that quarterbacks of Roethlisberger’s caliber fall out of the top 10. Hopefully, the Steelers can get that lucky again soon. Waiting 20 years for another franchise quarterback would not be ideal.
