Since Ben Roethlisberger retired, the Pittsburgh Steelers have seen a decline in their success. They haven’t even won a playoff game since 2016, with Roethlisberger’s last few years seeing more postseason failure, too. It’s similar to their struggles in the 1980s after many of their best players, like Terry Bradshaw, retired. Cliff Stoudt was one of the first quarterbacks to try to succeed Bradshaw. Recently, he talked about how closely he still follows the team today, giving his thoughts on their offseason.
“Not as closely as I used to, but this year’s been a little different, with the quarterback situation,” Stoudt said recently on WKBN27’s YouTube channel. “Keeping an eye on it. They’ve made their choice, and I hope it’s a good one for them, and they do a little better than .500 this year, or one game above it. We need to get back in the playoffs and go a long way.”
Many Steelers fans share Stoudt’s opinion. They want Pittsburgh back in Super Bowl contention, not just finishing with a winning record. However, as Stoudt mentions, that hinges greatly on their quarterback.
This offseason, the Steelers signed Aaron Rodgers to be their starter. Not everyone loved that decision, though, and with good reason. Disregarding Rodgers’ personal issues, he hasn’t been the same player that he once was in recent years. At 41 years old, and with a long injury history, it’s unclear how well Rodgers can still play.
Last year, the Steelers tried a similar solution under center. They signed Russell Wilson, who was coming off a few down seasons. They believed that they could tap into Wilson’s remaining potential. While they initially found success, ultimately, Wilson couldn’t play at a high enough level to elevate the Steelers.
They could be in for something similar with Rodgers. Rather than taking swings on veterans past their prime, many fans would like to see the Steelers find their next franchise quarterback. Unfortunately, that’s easier said than done.
Look at the gap that Pittsburgh experienced between Bradshaw and Roethlisberger. Stoudt took over for Bradshaw during the Hall of Famer’s final season. After that, the Steelers cycled through names like Mark Malone, Bubby Brister, and Neil O’Donnell. It took over 20 years for them to land Roethlisberger, and now, it’s only been three years since he retired. Steelers fans could be in for a long wait.
