Steelers Icon Ben Roethlisberger Is The Undeniable Valedictorian Of The Elite 2004 Quarterback Draft Class

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had two true franchise quarterbacks in the Super Bowl era. Fans are hoping that Kenny Pickett will join Terry Bradshaw and Ben Roethlisberger as the third. Bradshaw was the first pick in the NFL draft in 1970 from Louisiana Tech. Roethlisberger was the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft from Miami of Ohio in what might be the best quarterback class in NFL history.

The 1983 quarterback class is often referred to as the greatest quarterback draft featuring John Elway as the first overall pick that saw six quarterbacks go in the first round. The 1983 class did feature three Hall of Fame quarterbacks in Elway, Jim Kelly and Dan Marino who produced 10 AFC Championship teams and two Lombardi Trophies.

Todd Blackledge, Tony Eason and Ken O’Brien were the remaining three quarterbacks in the first round. Blackledge only had 29 career starts in seven seasons, including five for the Steelers in 1988 and 1989. Eason started 51 games and was the starter for the New England Patriots during their 1985 Super Bowl run that ended in a massacre by the Chicago Bears. O’Brien started 110 games for the Jets but only made the playoffs three times in his 10-year NFL career.

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Overall, the 1983 class produced 11 AFC Championships and oddly spent almost their entire careers in the conference. Marino retired with virtually every NFL passing record and the what-if of him playing for the Miami Dolphins instead of Pittsburgh will haunt the franchise forever. Kelly was the engine that led the Buffalo Bills to four straight Super Bowl losses. Elway’s late career magic turned the trajectory of his career from noble also-ran to the best ending of a career in NFL history.

The 2004 quarterback class also had the number one overall choice at quarterback in Eli Manning. His father and brother Archie Manning and Peyton Manning were phenomenal NFL quarterbacks by the time Eli became eligible for the draft in 2004. The San Diego Chargers took him with the first pick but then promptly traded him to the New York Giants for Phillip Rivers when Manning insisted he would not play in San Diego. Ben Roethlisberger was selected at pick 11 by the Steelers and JP Losman went to the Bills at 23.

The 2004 class, despite only having four quarterbacks chosen in the first round compared to six in 1983, produced five conference championship teams and won four Lombardi Trophies. Roethlisberger, Manning and Rivers are all likely to equal 1983 with three first-round quarterbacks making the Hall of Fame. Losman, like Blackledge in 1983, had a disappointing seven-year career that saw him start only 33 games in his career.

The Hall of Fame quarterbacks from 1983 are all, without question, legends. The NFL in the 21st century is a passing league but it is hard to ignore that Rivers and Roethlisberger both threw for more yards than Marino in their careers. Marino is sandwiched in between the two 2004 quarterbacks with 420 career touchdown passes. Rivers has 421 and Roethlisberger has 418, all three are currently in the top ten in NFL history in yards and touchdowns.

Manning is slightly below Roethlisberger and Rivers in career numbers. He threw for over 57,000 yards and 366 touchdowns which are far better than Elway and Kelly posted in their careers. He also has two huge Super Bowl upsets that will propel him into the Hall of Fame. Rivers, who is the only one without a Super Bowl victory might struggle initially to get in but his besting of Marino in yards and touchdowns should be enough to put him over the top.

Elway was the gold standard of fourth quarter comebacks during his career with 31 but ultimately finished behind his classmate Marino’s 33 and Johnny Unitas with 34. Roethlisberger, who often stated that Elway was the reason he wore number seven, surpassed him with 41 fourth quarter comebacks and is third all-time behind only Tom Brady and the elder Manning brother. Rivers ranks 10th all-time with 29 and the younger Manning is 15th all-time with 27.

The 2004 likely Hall of Fame quarterbacks have 97 career fourth quarter comebacks versus the three 1983 Hall of Fame quarterbacks who have a career total of 85. 2004 holds a significant advantage in passing touchdowns in the top three with 1,205 scoring tosses versus 957 for 1983. 2004 dominates in yards passing 184,511 to 148,303. The class of 2004 top three are in the top 10 in NFL history in both categories.

Fans have been arguing over Elway and Marino as the top of the 1983 class for decades. Marino was better statistically and if the Denver Broncos don’t send Elway out as a back-to-back Super Bowl Champion, it probably wouldn’t be much of a debate. They did and now it is championships versus statistics, and it will be debated as long as fans of that era talk about football.

The 2004 debate is a little different. Manning and Roethlisberger both have two Lombardi Trophies and Roethlisberger got the Steelers to three Super Bowls. Roethlisberger played in 249 games compared to Manning’s 236 but threw for nearly 7,000 more yards, 52 more touchdowns and a 93.5 passer rating compared to Manning’s 84.1. He won 48 more regular season games and Roethlisberger led his team to the playoffs 12 times in 18 seasons versus Manning who made the playoffs six times in 16 seasons.

Roethlisberger is at the top of the class of 2004. Rivers and the Steelers quarterback are virtually deadlocked in career statistics, and both outpace Manning in career numbers. The class of 2004 is statistically superior to the class of 1983 so you can argue that between the two classes and six Hall of Fame likely quarterbacks, Roethlisberger is the valedictorian of 2004 and since 2004 tops 1983, that means he is the best of both. 

Sports debates comparing players from different eras can’t really be won on statistics alone, but when you factor in winning, statistics and being clutch it is hard to bring down the case for Roethlisberger with anyone from the two greatest quarterback classes in NFL history.

What do you think Steeler Nation? Is Roethlisberger the best quarterback from the 2004 class? Please comment below or on my Twitter@thebubbasq.  

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