One might say the NFL is currently in a transitional period in time when it comes to the quarterback position. There is an abundance of young and upcoming superstar QBs, but at the same time, some of the greatest ever are finishing up their careers. The Old Dogs are still competing amongst the best, I might add. However, now the million-dollar question comes up: Where does each QB sit amongst the greatest ever? For Aaron Rodgers and Ben Roethlisberger, the question of who’s greater may soon be closer than you think. If Roethlisberger can win a third ring this year, his claim may just be valid. But what exactly are the arguments for which of the two are greater?
Big Ben is Greater (IF he wins the third ring)
Should the 11-3 Steelers win the Super Bowl this year, Big Ben would enter an entirely new tier of greatness. A championship in 2020 would make Roethlisberger a 3-time Superbowl champ. For people who don’t understand what a milestone that is, let’s put it into perspective. Only four QBs have won three or more Super Bowls: Tom Brady (6), Terry Bradshaw (4), Joe Montana (4), and Troy Aikman (3). Nobody else besides four top-15 all-time QBs.
Three Super bowls would be a massive accomplishment for Ben, not to mention 7th in all-time passing yards and 8th in all-time passing touchdowns. However, in this case, the glaring difference is Ben’s three Super Bowls to Rodgers’ one. In Sports, many consider the most important statistic to be championships, which is why Big Ben would have a solid argument if he wins the third ring.
Rodgers is Greater
If the Steelers win the Super Bowl, Roethlisberger’s claim becomes much more substantial, but most will still have Aaron Rodgers’ back based on the small aspects that statistics don’t pertain to. First of all, Rodgers is clearly the more skilled QB. Throughout the years, fans have watched Rodgers make ridiculous throws, wild scrambles, and clutch hail mary passes when he needed them the most. Rodgers is one of the most fun to watch players of all time too. He is also higher than Roethlisberger on the all-time TD list at 7th, and although he has only won one Super Bowl, he beat Ben in that same game to earn his ring.
One last stat that Rodgers has over Roethlisberger is that he is a past MVP. People often downplay the magnitude of winning the MVP award. It’s like winning the Super Bowl of individual performance. While Big Ben has never won the MVP, and likely never will, Rodgers has done it two times already and may even do it for the third time if he wins this year.
So Who Is the Greater QB?
At the end of the day, there will never be a definitive answer based on statistics. However, there are a few other nuances to take into account. When talking about Ben’s two rings, people don’t consider that he had an excellent coach and team to back him up. In fact, Roethlisberger never played that well in Superbowl games. He even holds the record for the lowest QB rating in a Super Bowl win. He went 9-21 with 2 interceptions in his first Super Bowl win over the Seahawks. Some might even say that players like Santonio Holmes, James Harrison, and Troy Polamalu carried Big Ben in those Super Bowl games.
Rodgers, on the other hand, is the one who did the carrying himself. He has never had a team that could be credited for the win more than he was, which says something about him as a player. To put it simply, Rodgers has had a greater individual career, while Roethlisberger has had more success with his team.