Will Ben Roethlisberger finish 2021 as the starter?

Ben Roethlisberger understood how big of a win Sunday's game against the Baltimore Ravens was for the Steelers. With the win, the Steelers jumped to eighth seed in the AFC playoff race.

At 6-5-1, the Steelers are in the thick of the hunt. However, while every win is big in December, every loss is bigger.

At any given time, the Steelers are just two games away from an early end to 2021.

With news of Ben Roethlisberger's possible retirement leaking over the weekend, the Steelers find themselves in a tough spot. If the Steelers get eliminated from playoff contention early, they'll have to make some big choices.

Namely, they will need to decide if Ben Roethlisberger finishing the season is in the Steelers' best interests. Could Roethlisberger finish his career on the bench?

Will Ben Roethlisberger finish 2021?

Pittsburgh Steelers v Philadelphia Eagles

Before getting into the practicality of the idea, many would call the move completely disrespectful to everything Roethlisberger has done for the Steelers organization over the 15-plus years that he's worn black and yellow. However, simply because a move is unpopular does not mean it is impractical.

Allowing Ben Roethlisberger to finish the season as a starter would be an honorable thing to do. However, they must know it could cost the Steelers years of searching.

The Steelers already have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins on the roster. Rudolph is a third-round pick and Haskins was a first-round pick with the (then) Washington Redskins.

Both quarterbacks were selected knowing that Ben Roethlisberger's years were numbered. The Steelers knew that if they started early, they could potentially find a cheaper option that could grow into the future of the franchise.

With Roethlisberger's retirement on the horizon, a game or two in a lost season could save years of losing.

By sitting Roethlisberger to get a look at Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph, the Steelers could possibly save themselves from having to wait until next season to get an up-to-date look at both quarterbacks. They'd know exactly where they stood going into the draft.

If they don't get a quarterback next year, they'd have to wait until 2023 to get another one.

Of course, if the Steelers keep winning, this line of thinking goes completely out the window. The best-case scenario is that Ben Roethlisberger goes out on top with a Lombardi hitting him on the way out like Peyton Manning.

The worst-case scenario is that Roethlisberger goes out like Eli Manning, with backup quarterbacks playing over him. What kind of ending will he get?

Only time will tell.

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