3 Most Likely Replacements for Ben Roethlisberger

Heading into Week 13, the Pittsburgh Steelers are no longer looking like the class of the AFC North with a 5-5-1 overall record. Ben Roethlisberger is simply not the same player in his age-39 season and that's quite evident by his dismal 43.1 QBR.

At some point, the Steelers are going to have to move on from their longtime veteran QB. This was a situation already discussed at length last offseason and that trend will continue given the Steelers' poor performances.

Roethlisberger's receding arm talent and lack of mobility rears its ugly head each and every week. His 43.1 QBR rating is a career-low for seasons in which he's started at least 10 games.

It's unclear is Roethliserger will in fact retire at the end of the season, but regardless his one-year contract makes this a no-brainer given the lack of financial implications.

If they do decide that the future is brighter without the future Hall-of-Famer, here are the three most likely quarterbacks to replace Big Ben.

1. Jameis Winston

Heading into the season, the offense only seemed to be missing a formidable running back and that's been solved by Najee Harris. Big Ben has more than enough weapons to score just 20.4 points per game (22nd) and his 6.6 adjusted yards per pass attempt (AY/A) just doesn't cut it. That's where the boom-or-bust arm talent of Jameis Winston comes into play. Winston got off to a quick start before his injury troubles, including 14 touchdowns with just 3 interceptions. What makes this most enticing is his 8.2 AYA, which proves an ability to get the ball to playmakers like Chase Claypool and Diontae Johnson.

2. Aaron Rodgers

Aaron Rodgers is the biggest wild card potential replacement on the market. We're still unsure what his future with the Green Bay Packers might look like, but he's another surefire stopgap quarterback. Arguably the most talented QB in football still, Rodgers touts an 8.5 AYA and 23 TDs to 4 interceptions. Rodgers has showcased his ability to lean on a strong run game this year (averaging just 33.9 attempts per game) and still completes 66.1% of his passes.

3. Malik Willis

Malik Willis is considered the most-physically talented quarterback in the 2022 draft class. He's got an A+ arm and is athletic to run around, two jarring differences from the current version of Big Ben. Willis could be a factor considering the Steelers' defense isn't necessarily in win-now mode. Pittsburgh gives up the 10th-most points (24.3) and eighth-most yards (367.5) per game. College quarterbacks take time to develop, but it would be an enticing young trio of Claypool, Harris and the talented Willis.

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Adam Taylor McKillop is not a FanDuel employee. In addition to providing DFS gameplay advice, Adam Taylor also participates in DFS contests on FanDuel using his personal account, username atmckillop. While the strategies and player selections recommended in his articles are his personal views, he may deploy different strategies and player selections when entering contests with his personal account. The views expressed in their articles are the author's alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of FanDuel.