For the Steelers, It May Be Time to Look Longterm

419. That’s the number of times Ben Roethlisberger has been sacked throughout his career. They say that an average NFL career takes twenty years off a player’s lifespan. Well, every time you watch a Steelers game, you think “there may be a chance Ben doesn’t make it through this one.” Although, as a Steelers fan, you never want to see the beloved quarterback leave, it may be time to think of someone who can learn from him. I know Ben is coming off his best season of his career and just signed a 5-year $99 million contract, but he’s already 33 years old and another five seasons would be a stretch. For Steelers’ fans, this is constantly lingering in the back of their minds and although none of us want to see Ben leave, knowing there’s someone learning from him would ease the worry.

As of now, the Steelers have four quarterbacks on the roster and two are under the age of 30. However, unless Landry Jones is some hidden talent Mike Tomlin is hiding, or he believes Tajh Boyd is the next great quarterback, then they need to start looking elsewhere.

Picking a quarterback in the first round of this year’s draft would be absurd, but taking a quarterback in the late rounds of the draft may be what they need. Not everyone knows about Brandon Bridge of South Alabama, but maybe Steelers’ fans should. The 6’4 quarterback looks like a smaller, quicker version of our beloved Ben Roethlisberger. Bridge didn’t create outstanding numbers in college or lead his team to a record-breaking season. No one will remember Bridge as the best college quarterback to ever play, but maybe they will remember him as one of the best quarterbacks for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Bridge has the ability to escape the pocket at any time and make plays with his feet, but he seems to mimic Ben when he continues to look for open receivers as he escapes. He doesn’t shy away from tight windows when throwing and has the arm strength and accuracy to make these gutsy throws. Bridge also has the tough mentality that Pittsburgh fans fell in love with in Roethlisberger. Sacked 23 times in 2014 even with his ability to escape most tackles, what made him special is that Bridge never seemed to want to leave a game. During his senior season, he only missed half a game, even with the constant hits and an ankle injury.

Aside from Jameis Winston, there isn’t a quarterback in this year’s draft that resembles Ben as much as Bridge. Although Tajh Boyd does have the big physical structure that Ben has, he doesn’t have the arm strength or football IQ to be a successful quarterback. What looks promising for the Steelers, is that Bridge isn’t projected to be drafted until the 6th round. No draft expert expects Bridge to be a high pick or even be considered a starting quarterback in his rookie season. There isn’t a better fit for the Steelers than Bridge.

I know no one wants to think about Ben Roethlisberger retiring anytime soon, but realistically, Big Ben only has a few years left. With five years left on his contract, the Steelers may think they have time before they need to draft a future quarterback. The only problem with that is, when was the last time the Steelers had a top ten pick? With the success the Steelers generate each season, looking to draft a quarterback who can immediately start is not realistic. The Steelers need to think of a player who can learn from Ben and has the ability to eventually become a franchise quarterback. There doesn’t seem to be a better opportunity for the Steelers to prepare for the future than using a late round pick on Brandon Bridge. Not knowing how many more hits Big Ben can take before the beloved quarterback retires, securing Brandon Bridge this draft would be a wise choice for the Steelers’ future.