Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger has struggled through the first four weeks of the 2021 season. But even as the Steelers quarterback is now dealing with hip issues, head coach Mike Tomlin said Roethlisberger remains the team’s best option at signal-caller.
When asked if Roethlisberger is the best QB for Pittsburgh’s offense, Tomlin responded, “Absolutely.”
“What he does and what he’s done makes me really comfortable in saying that,” Tomlin said, via Jeff Hathhorn of 93.7 The Fan.
With the Steelers at 1-3, Roethlisberger has thrown for 1,033 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions. He’s completing 64 percent of his passes but gaining only 6.1 yards per attempt. That’s down from even last year when he averaged 6.3 yards per attempt.
But Tomlin said nearly everything that’s gone south with Roethlisberger can be fixed.
“Everything except mobility,” Tomlin said. “I don’t have an answer for that or lack thereof. Ben used to be able to run really good when he was young. Those days are behind him.”
“Other than that, I don’t see much that isn’t a discussion in terms of technical alterations or quality of play that can be improved.”
Tomlin noted that the Steelers haven’t cashed in on their big-play opportunities, which has kept the offense from being productive. Entering Week Five, Pittsburgh is 27th in total yards and 28th in points scored.
The Steelers do have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins on their roster as options at QB. But at least for now, things aren’t at a point where they’ll turn away from Roethlisberger and toward the younger options.
