Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is expected to retire at the end of the 2021 NFL season. The 39-year-old quarterback, who has spent his entire career with the Steelers, has yet to confirm the news.
The Steelers are 7-7-1 through Week 16 of the 2021 NFL season. After a horrid loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Sunday afternoon, the Steelers are now the 11th seed in the AFC, making a playoff run even more difficult. Talk of who could replace Roethlisberger next season is well underway.
As of now, the Steelers have the 15th pick in the 2022 NFL Draft. Will the Steelers use the pick to draft a quarterback, or will they decide to go with a veteran? If they do the latter, here are some choices.
3 possible replacements for QB Ben Roethlisberger
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#1 - Matt Corral, Ole Miss
Matt Corral could be an obvious replacement for Ben Roethlisberger. Corral led Ole Miss to a 10-2 record, the team's first double-digit win season. With a small pool of quarterbacks to choose from in this year's draft, Corral is the most similiar to Roethlisberger, in terms of the way he plays the game and athletic ability.
Corral threw for 3,339 passing yards, 20 touchdowns and just four interceptions this season. He was a starter in 2020 and 2021 and plays well in an uptempo scheme. Corral, also, has the ability to make a play with his legs, which is something that Roethlisberger can no longer do at this point in his career.
#2 - Kenny Pickett, Pittsburgh
The Steelers have had quite a few opportunities over the last four years to get a look at quarterback Kenny Pickett. As a starter at the University of Pittsburgh for the last four seasons, Pickett's 2021 campaign was the best by far. He led the Panthers to an ACC title, and he became the university's leading passer (12, 303 yards) in school history.
Pickett was also in the running for the Heisman Trophy award this season. Pickett, who has played his college home games at Heinz Field, may be a good fit for the hometown team. Pickett threw for 4,319 yards, 42 touchdown and 14 interceptions this season.
#3 - Sam Howell, UNC
There were high expectations for University of North Carolina quarterback Sam Howell entering the 2021 NFL season. Howell seemed to live up to those expectations throughout his entire UNC football career and not just 2021.
He has thrown, at least, one touchdown pass in each of his 36 career starts in college. He can also make moves with his legs, making him a great mobile quarterback. If the Steelers aren't able to completely fix the offensive line, then a mobile quarterback is definitely the route they need to take.
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