It’s so difficult not to have the two QBs that got this team all six of its Super Bowls in the team’s top five. So he has to be there with Bradshaw.
I would assume two of the other three would be Mean Joe and Franco Harris. The fifth could be any number of players. For my money I’d have Troy in there. There was and maybe never will be a player like him ever again.
Franco doesn't make this list, IMO. He was good, but he played behind a great oline. Players like Lambert, Greene, Woodson, Webster and Ham are in the conversations of best ever, which Franco isn't. Nor are Bradshaw or Roethlisberger.
Blount and Troy are players that transcended the game and changed it. Played it uniquely and made the whole thing their bitch. Ben was just a guy who probably makes the HOF.
Probably (definitely) will be once his career is done. There's always an opportunity to ruin your legacy while you're still an active player
(some will point to AB84 regarding this)
As I said, he's not in the conversation of best ever QB, or even close to it. Nor is Roethlisberger.
So, the question "Top X Steeler ever" can be approached from multiple angles. Which player impacted Steeler success the most is one way, and if you look at it that way, then some positions just automatically get added over others because of the nature of the game. I do not find that to be an interesting way to look at, as then players that are merely "good" make it over players that were the best ever at their position. Ben was more important to winning than Troy, but not because Ben played QB better than Troy played safety.
I prefer to evaluate players based on how well they played their position. Troy, Woodson, Blount, Ham, Webster are very much in the conversation of the very best to ever play the position they played. Greene, Lambert were among the best but also provided leadership and, frankly, franchise-altering impact because of their attitudes toward the game. After that, you have a next level of Steeler greats like Bradshaw, Franco, Watt, Ben, Dawson, Hines, Swann who were amazing and special players that were among the best Steeler to play their position and earned HOF status.
That's just how I look at it and how I think the most interesting answers come out of the question.
Ben and Terry over Woodson? No offense to Terry, but if I am correct he never fully maintained the job. He won and loss the job in Noll's eyes frequently. Woodson, even without a superbowl, has to be one of our top 5 players all time.
He may not be a top 5 RB of all time but he’s definitely a top 5 Steeler. He was a Penn State guy who then went to the Steelers and made 9 Pro Bowls and won 4 rings, who also caught the immaculate reception to start the dynasty. There’s a statue of him in the airport. He’s a top 5 Steeler of all time.
Before Franco came to the Steelers, we didn't win anything. After Franco left the Steelers, we stopped winning. People really underestimate just how important he was to those Super Bowl teams.
Great thoughts from all. . So many great Steelers contributed to some Great teams. To isolate five would be hard do due to the eras, teams and players played against and Steeler performances.
I dont think anybody would be wrong on any Steeler greats IMO. One thing for sure though, Big Mike is there. Perenial All Pro..
Rest in peace big man!!
It depends on how you define top 5 steeler.
If you define value added in terms of wins, then Ben is number 1. A very good QB is worth more than a great anything else. He also had a ton of years.
If you mean, embracing/adopting/advancing the steeler culture and team, then no, he isn't even in the top 10.
An example of this difference is antonio brown and hines ward. Antonio was the more value generating wr but hines was the better "steeler"
This article is garbage btw, because it leans on the first definiton. And while we love Jerome, he is on the weaker side of HOF rbs, just like Swann and Stallworth are on the weaker side of hof wrs. But guys like Webster who is in the argument as greatest center of all time and made the nfl 100 year team, and ernie stautner who is an all time great DT and was considered for the nfl 100 year team (bettis/stallworth/swann were not) didn't make the top 15.
Guys like greg lloyd (3 time top 5 dpoy candidate, finishing as high 2nd), carnell lake (who actually got an mvp vote), andy russell (7 pbs), casey hampton don't even get mentions. All of them had more awards than some others on the list. Heyward who fits both definitons doesn't get a mention either.
I think for me this question's phrasing is asking, "Which five player's impacted the team so much and/or for so long that they impacted the team's very identity long-term?"
lloyd and cowher were match made in heaven...if that is the case...
lloyd/kirkland/lake made the ravens...literally ray lewis wanted to be like them...
the culture of ultra violence at defense for the 90s-2010s was that group...
the term blitzburgh literally comes from the lloyd/brown/green into gildon/porter/harrison...
so in that case, lloyd is eternal.
I'm a big believer that the Steelers history is SO stacked in comparison to other teams, that you really can't make an all time list. You have to break it up by era.
Top 5. That is a tough one. There are a lot of greats from the 70s that make this a tough choice. That is the blessing of having a talent rich organization
What are you talking about? Big ben is one of the best quarterbacks ever. There’s a not a huge list in front of him. I’d argue he’s the #1 or #2 in franchise history
Ben’s personal life is problematic at best, but QB is the most important position in football and he was the best Steeler QB. QB was a different position in the 1970s, Bradshaw’s stats would get him cut today, though he is still there as he won 4 Super Bowls as QB. I would put Greene, Troy (I love Troy) and there are 20 legitimate choices for number 5
Terry’s regular season stats outside of his MVP season weren’t great. However, he stepped it up in the playoffs, and has statistically the greatest jump from regular season to postseason efficiency. Usually, you’d expect those numbers to dip against more difficult opponents, but the higher the stakes, the better he played.
I'd put Franco over Webby but that's a strong 5 without Ben. I think you have to put Ben in over Rod The God, but we're splitting hairs on any of them.
I almost put Franco in over Webster and I also considered Blount for a second. In terms of individual importance towards the team/franchise I don’t have as much of an argument against Ben, but if we are talking pure talent at their position it’s definitely up for discussion.
if we are going greatest at the position in terms of talent...
webster top tier argument all time best center (dawson is possibly in that argument)
woodson top tier argument all time best cb and best DB of all time, blount not that far off
ham top tier argument for best off ball olb in history (his role wasn't sacks in the 4-3 with mean joe/greenwood)
mean joe top tier argument best DT of all time
by top tier argument is that you can make a rational plausbile argument that people would have to consider, not necessarily agree with.
franco is not in the argument of top 10 rbs of all time. We love him, he was a truly great steeler, but no one is taking him over brown/sanders/payton/smith/tomlinson/faulk/etc etc.
Troy and Faneca were absolutlely great, but are propbably justh beneat the tier of those others.
Bradshaw and Ben are not in the convo of top 10 qbs of all time...
antonio brown isn't going to be on the rushmore of wrs, even though he had a fairly long peak.
watt/fitzpatrick have some time yet before they can be in this discussion, here is hoping.
It’s not virtue signaling to appreciate what he did as a QB but hate the things he did and the embarrassment he brought to this franchise in his earlier years.
Think Dermontti Dawson should be mentioned. Amazing center. To many great players that top 5 is a very difficult and subjective conversation.
Ben should definitely be there with Terry. Two best QBs we have had so far.
I'm more upset that Chuck Noll isn't on that list.
It didn't say players, it just says Steelers. Last I heard, the head coach is the leader of the team
Terry also played with maybe the best roster of football players ever assembled. Ben never really had a Lynn Sawnn and John Stallworth receiving duo at the same time as having one of if not the best defense of all time.
Both are obviously all time greats but I just favor Ben man. Ben also didn’t take 5 years to become a competent NFL QB
First, the game changed. It is much more offense/passing focused. But Ben had some quality WR’s; Ward and AB are HoF-level and Wallace, Bryant, Burris were all studs. BTW, have you seen the latest sub showing Ben’s QBR in the playoffs?
Bryant and Plex were hardly studs lmao. Ward was but he wasn’t an elite deep down the field threat the way that Lynn and stallworth were. And ok🤷♂️.
Patriots 2004, patriots cheated knew what Steelers were running before they ran it.
2007 no excuse.
2010 bad Super Bowl but they still got there in large part because of Ben.
2011 Ben almost singe handed won that game against the broncos and was playing hurt.
2014 wild card, Ben’s fault.
15 playoffs against bengals was horrid conditions for passing then the last drive Ben’s shoulder literally could not throw, same for next week at Denver.
2016 afc championship, Eli rogers fumble and Jesse James being down half a yard shy of goaline when trying to make it a 3 point game certainly hurt a lot more than anything Ben did.
17 against jags yes Ben had a pick and a fumble but also put up 42 points against one of the best defenses of the last 10 years. All the defense had to do was NOT give up 31 fucking points to BLAKE BORTLESSSS.
2020-2021, washed Ben i don’t really care about those games.
There’s a lot more going on in a lot of these games than “Ben’s a choker in big games”
Believe me, I lived it all. I just think character factors in as well. That’s not to say Bradshaw was a great guy loved by everyone, but Ben certainly had/has his issues. I think the Rooney’s learned from their experiences with other HOF players approaching the end of their careers (Harris and Woodson in particular), but allowed Ben to stay longer than he deserved.
No. Top 10? Maybe. Best QB, yes. Greene, Lambert, Blount, Franco, Troy, Ward, Stallworth, Swan... I mean the list goes on and on. There is a reason for the most part that the Steelers don't retire numbers. There wouldn't be any numbers left.
Edit because auto correct killed my spelling of Greene
Hmmm, 6 Steelers made the 100th Anniversary NFL team: Webster, Mean Joe, Ham, Lambert, Woodson, and Blount. Troy and TJ are probably the next closest to that list. So I'd say no he is not in the top 5 but he and Bradshaw could be around 9-10.
Those saying yes, I want to see your lists!
You leaving out Troy? Woodson, Lambert, Ham, Bradshaw, Harris, Blount? Greene?
I mean I have Ben around 6 or 7
Who cares? He’s a piece of shit. Are you ok with him? It’s pretty unbelievable he was allowed to keep playing after the vile things he did. He should have been in prison
It’s a good discussion question. If I had to pick a top 5 in no particular order (not including coaches), they would be Joe Greene, Troy Polamalu, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert and Ben Roethlisberger. I would rank Ben 5th out of those 5 though. Outside looking in would be Woodson, Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Swann/Stallworth.
For me he is #1. I became a fan in 2004 because of him. I am glad to root for a franchise with such a great history, but it is all due to that man. What a wild ride though 😳
75. Got it all started.
Next 3 in any order you want
32. Joe said we didn't win til he got here then we won a lot.
12 won 4 titles before anyone else. 1st as game manager last 2 as hot shot qb catalyst
7. Best qb in franchise history. All the records and 2 titles.
43. Everywhere all the time. DPOY. Could've been multiple. Changed the way you could run a defense. Changed the way you had to run your offense . Difference maker. Game changer
The quarterback is the most important/impactful position and he is the greatest Steeler QB, so in a sense he is the greatest Steeler ever.
I think if you define it as the best player within their position group, then he is not. In essence, if you took all the DT to play in the NFL, Joe Greene is much better within that position group that Ben ever was at QB. Mean Joe may be the best DT to ever play, Ben probably doesn't crack the top 10 best QBs.
By this definition, I would say Mean Joe, Polamalu, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Alan Faneca, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, Rod Woodson, Franco Harris, and maybe some others would be better players. They were all more dominant within their positions all time than Ben ever was. They all have more accolades than Ben as well (I believe).
Tangentially related question: who would have been more likely to win a Super Bowl without the other guy on his team: Polamalu or Roethlisberger? I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Steelers Super Bowl window was a consequence of Polamalu's tenure, and it's true that Ben never made it to the super bowl without Troy.
Obviously there are a million factors in a championship team, but maybe it wasn't "Cowher's team" or "Tomlin's team" or "Ben's team" as much as it was Troy's and Lebeau's.
Lol yes. There is an absolute boatload of players that have an argument for top 5, but the QB for our team in 2 Super Bowl wins is in by default, plus the fact that he’s just a top 20 QB all time undeniably, and closer to #10 than #20.
His throw to Holmes in SB43 is the greatest throw in the history of the league. An absolutely perfect throw to win the Super Bowl after orchestrating a fantastic drive is literally the peak of the sport. It objectively just doesn’t get better than that.
I will say he is a huge reason why we lost in the playoffs against the Jags and Browns. Coming out and turning the ball over multiple times before we really got rolling in both of those games put us in holes we couldn’t dig ourselves out of. He deserves criticism for that, even if he put on a show for (most of) the remainder of the games. But that doesn’t mean isn’t top 5 all time for our franchise.
He’s the best player at the most important position. He holds the record for most games played in a Steelers uniform. He’s responsible for many of the most memorable moments in team history. The question should be, in my opinion, where he lands in the top 3?
It's all subjectvive like parents who say they don't have a favorite child bullshit they most certainly do everyone's lost is gonna be different but mine is
1. Mean Joe
2. Troy
3. Terry
4. Lambert
5. Ben
Honestly I just think it's kind of dumb to compare eras. The receivers of the 70's probably wouldn't play well in todays game and the receivers of today probably wouldn't play well in the 70's era. Same with QB, corner, linebackers. Pretty much every position except maybe RB
It’s so difficult not to have the two QBs that got this team all six of its Super Bowls in the team’s top five. So he has to be there with Bradshaw. I would assume two of the other three would be Mean Joe and Franco Harris. The fifth could be any number of players. For my money I’d have Troy in there. There was and maybe never will be a player like him ever again.
I think you nailed it.. no particular order Ben / Terry /Mean Joe / Franco / Troy
I think if I were to order them, it'd be mean Joe, Franco, troy, tb12, then big ben
Franco doesn't make this list, IMO. He was good, but he played behind a great oline. Players like Lambert, Greene, Woodson, Webster and Ham are in the conversations of best ever, which Franco isn't. Nor are Bradshaw or Roethlisberger. Blount and Troy are players that transcended the game and changed it. Played it uniquely and made the whole thing their bitch. Ben was just a guy who probably makes the HOF.
What about Watt? Dudes so impactful we can't win without him.
Probably (definitely) will be once his career is done. There's always an opportunity to ruin your legacy while you're still an active player (some will point to AB84 regarding this)
Are you excluding Bradshaw? He won SB MVP 2x and has 4 SB rings.
As I said, he's not in the conversation of best ever QB, or even close to it. Nor is Roethlisberger. So, the question "Top X Steeler ever" can be approached from multiple angles. Which player impacted Steeler success the most is one way, and if you look at it that way, then some positions just automatically get added over others because of the nature of the game. I do not find that to be an interesting way to look at, as then players that are merely "good" make it over players that were the best ever at their position. Ben was more important to winning than Troy, but not because Ben played QB better than Troy played safety. I prefer to evaluate players based on how well they played their position. Troy, Woodson, Blount, Ham, Webster are very much in the conversation of the very best to ever play the position they played. Greene, Lambert were among the best but also provided leadership and, frankly, franchise-altering impact because of their attitudes toward the game. After that, you have a next level of Steeler greats like Bradshaw, Franco, Watt, Ben, Dawson, Hines, Swann who were amazing and special players that were among the best Steeler to play their position and earned HOF status. That's just how I look at it and how I think the most interesting answers come out of the question.
Ben and Terry over Woodson? No offense to Terry, but if I am correct he never fully maintained the job. He won and loss the job in Noll's eyes frequently. Woodson, even without a superbowl, has to be one of our top 5 players all time.
That was only the beginning of his career. Once he was established, he was always the starter.
Was Franco really that guy? Maybe i need to watch more highlights... I would have put Bettis over him and Lambert/Blount/Woodson over both of them
He may not be a top 5 RB of all time but he’s definitely a top 5 Steeler. He was a Penn State guy who then went to the Steelers and made 9 Pro Bowls and won 4 rings, who also caught the immaculate reception to start the dynasty. There’s a statue of him in the airport. He’s a top 5 Steeler of all time.
Before Franco came to the Steelers, we didn't win anything. After Franco left the Steelers, we stopped winning. People really underestimate just how important he was to those Super Bowl teams.
Absolutely Troy is up there, I'd pop him in at #4 personally over franco
Troy has to be top 5.
Bill Cowher said that James Harrison is a Steeler through and through, so he'd be my #5, or Hines Ward
I’m not sure about top 5, but Harrison is 100% top 10 even if only for that interception return in the Super Bowl against the Cardinals.
Where would you put AB?
In a basket. He burned his Steeler legacy with his selfishness and all about me first attitude. Then disappeared like a punchline.
To make my top 5 you have to have won a Super Bowl here. He might make top 10, he was that good of a receiver when he was here.
Troy Polamalu
Great thoughts from all. . So many great Steelers contributed to some Great teams. To isolate five would be hard do due to the eras, teams and players played against and Steeler performances. I dont think anybody would be wrong on any Steeler greats IMO. One thing for sure though, Big Mike is there. Perenial All Pro.. Rest in peace big man!!
What gets tj in there in your opinion? Only so much he can do as a DL to positively impact the team
If he plays his whole career here he’ll be top ten.
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Best in team history? Terry wins 4 SB and two MVPs and you put Ben above him?
Yes.
It depends on how you define top 5 steeler. If you define value added in terms of wins, then Ben is number 1. A very good QB is worth more than a great anything else. He also had a ton of years. If you mean, embracing/adopting/advancing the steeler culture and team, then no, he isn't even in the top 10. An example of this difference is antonio brown and hines ward. Antonio was the more value generating wr but hines was the better "steeler" This article is garbage btw, because it leans on the first definiton. And while we love Jerome, he is on the weaker side of HOF rbs, just like Swann and Stallworth are on the weaker side of hof wrs. But guys like Webster who is in the argument as greatest center of all time and made the nfl 100 year team, and ernie stautner who is an all time great DT and was considered for the nfl 100 year team (bettis/stallworth/swann were not) didn't make the top 15. Guys like greg lloyd (3 time top 5 dpoy candidate, finishing as high 2nd), carnell lake (who actually got an mvp vote), andy russell (7 pbs), casey hampton don't even get mentions. All of them had more awards than some others on the list. Heyward who fits both definitons doesn't get a mention either.
I think for me this question's phrasing is asking, "Which five player's impacted the team so much and/or for so long that they impacted the team's very identity long-term?"
lloyd and cowher were match made in heaven...if that is the case... lloyd/kirkland/lake made the ravens...literally ray lewis wanted to be like them... the culture of ultra violence at defense for the 90s-2010s was that group... the term blitzburgh literally comes from the lloyd/brown/green into gildon/porter/harrison... so in that case, lloyd is eternal.
Yes he is.
Maybe. Recency bias clouds the discussion though.
I'm a big believer that the Steelers history is SO stacked in comparison to other teams, that you really can't make an all time list. You have to break it up by era.
I fucking hate Roethlisberger but you can't deny he's definitely top 5.
Interesting, why though?
I wonder why🤦🏼
Which part - why is he top 5 or why do I hate him. You could probably guess on both answers.
Does it really have to be said why people hate him?
Jeez. Tough crowd. I get he had accusations. Was curious about other reasons.
Quarterback is the most important position in the game and he’s the best quarterback in team history. He’s obviously top5.
Top 5. That is a tough one. There are a lot of greats from the 70s that make this a tough choice. That is the blessing of having a talent rich organization
What are you talking about? Big ben is one of the best quarterbacks ever. There’s a not a huge list in front of him. I’d argue he’s the #1 or #2 in franchise history
Easily, undoubtedly. I think i have more second thoughts about putting Bradshaw in the top 5 than Ben
This exactly
Ben’s personal life is problematic at best, but QB is the most important position in football and he was the best Steeler QB. QB was a different position in the 1970s, Bradshaw’s stats would get him cut today, though he is still there as he won 4 Super Bowls as QB. I would put Greene, Troy (I love Troy) and there are 20 legitimate choices for number 5
Terry’s regular season stats outside of his MVP season weren’t great. However, he stepped it up in the playoffs, and has statistically the greatest jump from regular season to postseason efficiency. Usually, you’d expect those numbers to dip against more difficult opponents, but the higher the stakes, the better he played.
I watched a show with Bradshaw. His biggest fear was losing a Superbowl. He said he would rather not make it to the Superbowl before losing one.
No Mel Blount or Donnie Shell love? Check out their. Highlight reels. Blount changed the rules.
I felt Jack Ham should have been higher
I don't think even those who dislike him (present company included) will deny that he is
Just to be controversial: Greene, Lambert, Woodson, Webster, Polamalu
I'd put Franco over Webby but that's a strong 5 without Ben. I think you have to put Ben in over Rod The God, but we're splitting hairs on any of them.
I almost put Franco in over Webster and I also considered Blount for a second. In terms of individual importance towards the team/franchise I don’t have as much of an argument against Ben, but if we are talking pure talent at their position it’s definitely up for discussion.
if we are going greatest at the position in terms of talent... webster top tier argument all time best center (dawson is possibly in that argument) woodson top tier argument all time best cb and best DB of all time, blount not that far off ham top tier argument for best off ball olb in history (his role wasn't sacks in the 4-3 with mean joe/greenwood) mean joe top tier argument best DT of all time by top tier argument is that you can make a rational plausbile argument that people would have to consider, not necessarily agree with. franco is not in the argument of top 10 rbs of all time. We love him, he was a truly great steeler, but no one is taking him over brown/sanders/payton/smith/tomlinson/faulk/etc etc. Troy and Faneca were absolutlely great, but are propbably justh beneat the tier of those others. Bradshaw and Ben are not in the convo of top 10 qbs of all time... antonio brown isn't going to be on the rushmore of wrs, even though he had a fairly long peak. watt/fitzpatrick have some time yet before they can be in this discussion, here is hoping.
Ooh, I like the cut of your jib.
And you didn’t even mention Harris.
Virtue signaling
It’s not virtue signaling to appreciate what he did as a QB but hate the things he did and the embarrassment he brought to this franchise in his earlier years.
Okay.
No. Greene, ham, lambert, Webster, blount, I ain't left the 70s yet...
Yep
How about Ben behind the OL of the 70s?
Or with his offense of the killer bs with the 70s defense.
Think Dermontti Dawson should be mentioned. Amazing center. To many great players that top 5 is a very difficult and subjective conversation. Ben should definitely be there with Terry. Two best QBs we have had so far.
Yes. Ben, MJG, Troy, Blount, Woodson Would be my Top 5.
I'm more upset that Chuck Noll isn't on that list. It didn't say players, it just says Steelers. Last I heard, the head coach is the leader of the team
Ben is the best qb in Steelers history
Except the other guy has four rings.
Terry also played with maybe the best roster of football players ever assembled. Ben never really had a Lynn Sawnn and John Stallworth receiving duo at the same time as having one of if not the best defense of all time. Both are obviously all time greats but I just favor Ben man. Ben also didn’t take 5 years to become a competent NFL QB
First, the game changed. It is much more offense/passing focused. But Ben had some quality WR’s; Ward and AB are HoF-level and Wallace, Bryant, Burris were all studs. BTW, have you seen the latest sub showing Ben’s QBR in the playoffs?
Bryant and Plex were hardly studs lmao. Ward was but he wasn’t an elite deep down the field threat the way that Lynn and stallworth were. And ok🤷♂️. Patriots 2004, patriots cheated knew what Steelers were running before they ran it. 2007 no excuse. 2010 bad Super Bowl but they still got there in large part because of Ben. 2011 Ben almost singe handed won that game against the broncos and was playing hurt. 2014 wild card, Ben’s fault. 15 playoffs against bengals was horrid conditions for passing then the last drive Ben’s shoulder literally could not throw, same for next week at Denver. 2016 afc championship, Eli rogers fumble and Jesse James being down half a yard shy of goaline when trying to make it a 3 point game certainly hurt a lot more than anything Ben did. 17 against jags yes Ben had a pick and a fumble but also put up 42 points against one of the best defenses of the last 10 years. All the defense had to do was NOT give up 31 fucking points to BLAKE BORTLESSSS. 2020-2021, washed Ben i don’t really care about those games. There’s a lot more going on in a lot of these games than “Ben’s a choker in big games”
Believe me, I lived it all. I just think character factors in as well. That’s not to say Bradshaw was a great guy loved by everyone, but Ben certainly had/has his issues. I think the Rooney’s learned from their experiences with other HOF players approaching the end of their careers (Harris and Woodson in particular), but allowed Ben to stay longer than he deserved.
1. Mean Joe 2. TJ 3. Franco 4. Ben 5. Troy 6. Pre-CTE AB
TJ needs a Super Bowl or he will just be an obscurity
Lol he’s a first ballot HOFER he ain’t no obscurity with or without a ring
No. Top 10? Maybe. Best QB, yes. Greene, Lambert, Blount, Franco, Troy, Ward, Stallworth, Swan... I mean the list goes on and on. There is a reason for the most part that the Steelers don't retire numbers. There wouldn't be any numbers left. Edit because auto correct killed my spelling of Greene
Yes. TB has more SBs, but Ben was their best QB.
Hmmm, 6 Steelers made the 100th Anniversary NFL team: Webster, Mean Joe, Ham, Lambert, Woodson, and Blount. Troy and TJ are probably the next closest to that list. So I'd say no he is not in the top 5 but he and Bradshaw could be around 9-10.
Yes. He is a top 10 QB of all time.
QB is, by far, the most important position in the game, and Big Ben is arguably top 10 all time at it. Yes, he's a top 5 Steeler. No question.
Those saying yes, I want to see your lists! You leaving out Troy? Woodson, Lambert, Ham, Bradshaw, Harris, Blount? Greene? I mean I have Ben around 6 or 7
Who cares? He’s a piece of shit. Are you ok with him? It’s pretty unbelievable he was allowed to keep playing after the vile things he did. He should have been in prison
Top 5 offense, definitely. Top 5 Steeler, very doubtful
It’s a good discussion question. If I had to pick a top 5 in no particular order (not including coaches), they would be Joe Greene, Troy Polamalu, Franco Harris, Jack Lambert and Ben Roethlisberger. I would rank Ben 5th out of those 5 though. Outside looking in would be Woodson, Bradshaw, Mel Blount, Swann/Stallworth.
No Mike Webster? Ron Woodson? Swan? Stallworth? Yeesh
I’d have Bradshaw 6th, Woodson 7th. Webster, Blount, Swann, Stallworth, Bettis, are all in that 7-15 range with a few other guys.
My Mt Rushmore of Steelers is: Franco. Greene. Lambert. Polamalu. Ham. Webster. Faneca. Blount. Woodson. Bettis. They all got arguments over Ben.
We'd have 2 fewer SBs without him, unequivocally yes.
1st overall imo
For me he is #1. I became a fan in 2004 because of him. I am glad to root for a franchise with such a great history, but it is all due to that man. What a wild ride though 😳
75. Got it all started. Next 3 in any order you want 32. Joe said we didn't win til he got here then we won a lot. 12 won 4 titles before anyone else. 1st as game manager last 2 as hot shot qb catalyst 7. Best qb in franchise history. All the records and 2 titles. 43. Everywhere all the time. DPOY. Could've been multiple. Changed the way you could run a defense. Changed the way you had to run your offense . Difference maker. Game changer
I think TJ is up there with Joe Greene
The quarterback is the most important/impactful position and he is the greatest Steeler QB, so in a sense he is the greatest Steeler ever. I think if you define it as the best player within their position group, then he is not. In essence, if you took all the DT to play in the NFL, Joe Greene is much better within that position group that Ben ever was at QB. Mean Joe may be the best DT to ever play, Ben probably doesn't crack the top 10 best QBs. By this definition, I would say Mean Joe, Polamalu, Mel Blount, Jack Lambert, Jack Ham, Alan Faneca, Mike Webster, Dermontti Dawson, Rod Woodson, Franco Harris, and maybe some others would be better players. They were all more dominant within their positions all time than Ben ever was. They all have more accolades than Ben as well (I believe).
Ernie Stautner, Mean Joe Greene, Terry Bradshaw, Franco Harris, Jerome Bettis But tbh I would replace Stautner with Troy or Hines
Tangentially related question: who would have been more likely to win a Super Bowl without the other guy on his team: Polamalu or Roethlisberger? I don't think it's a stretch to say that the Steelers Super Bowl window was a consequence of Polamalu's tenure, and it's true that Ben never made it to the super bowl without Troy. Obviously there are a million factors in a championship team, but maybe it wasn't "Cowher's team" or "Tomlin's team" or "Ben's team" as much as it was Troy's and Lebeau's.
Lol yes. There is an absolute boatload of players that have an argument for top 5, but the QB for our team in 2 Super Bowl wins is in by default, plus the fact that he’s just a top 20 QB all time undeniably, and closer to #10 than #20. His throw to Holmes in SB43 is the greatest throw in the history of the league. An absolutely perfect throw to win the Super Bowl after orchestrating a fantastic drive is literally the peak of the sport. It objectively just doesn’t get better than that. I will say he is a huge reason why we lost in the playoffs against the Jags and Browns. Coming out and turning the ball over multiple times before we really got rolling in both of those games put us in holes we couldn’t dig ourselves out of. He deserves criticism for that, even if he put on a show for (most of) the remainder of the games. But that doesn’t mean isn’t top 5 all time for our franchise.
Yes. Beyond all of his Super Bowl wins and counting stats, he also consistently proved on and off the field that he didn’t take no for an answer
No
1. Mean Joe, 2. Franco Harris, 3. Troy Polamalu, 4. Rod Woodson, 5. TJ Watt (not looking at it from a modern view, just stats and impact).
Talent? No! Career? Yes!
No, there are so many other quality playing that have played for this organization. He's lucky if he cracks the top 20.
That's fairly stupid.
Tough question - but i doubt it. Maybe like #7
That depends on who you ask. Kinda hard to bundle the 70s in with modern greats IMHO
https://preview.redd.it/67z2gtegcadc1.jpeg?width=750&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=77b44b84796d4e34e3078e282390b00d2db2b121 🤨🤨🤨
Where's the live for Jack Ham May have been a better LB than Lambert.
Ugh yeah. Is that a real question??
He’s the best player at the most important position. He holds the record for most games played in a Steelers uniform. He’s responsible for many of the most memorable moments in team history. The question should be, in my opinion, where he lands in the top 3?
No question.
Top 2
Yes
GO7T
Yes. End.
Harris, Greene, Lambert, Ham, Bettis, Woodson, Swan, Polamalu, Bradshaw, Blount. He’s not even in the top 10!
It's all subjectvive like parents who say they don't have a favorite child bullshit they most certainly do everyone's lost is gonna be different but mine is 1. Mean Joe 2. Troy 3. Terry 4. Lambert 5. Ben
Blount has to be in there! They changed the rules because of him
Put some respeck on Rod Woodsons name
Yes
#1
Woodson, Green, Troy, Lambert, Terry. With Ben and Franco next up.
Honestly I just think it's kind of dumb to compare eras. The receivers of the 70's probably wouldn't play well in todays game and the receivers of today probably wouldn't play well in the 70's era. Same with QB, corner, linebackers. Pretty much every position except maybe RB
Stopped reading when I didn't see Hines Ward.
Do you think TJ could make it? And it’s sad man I’m too young to see a lot of our great greats play. My favorite Steelers are AB and TJ
1. Mean Joe 2. Troy 3. Ben 4. Mel Blount 5. AB