Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Has An Extremely Surprising Pick For Pittsburgh's 2025 MVP

The Pittsburgh Steelers may be 7-6 and have total control of the AFC North, but many fans are still concerned about the performance of the team on both sides of the ball. Their last four games will not be particularly easy, but a Week 18 rematch against the Baltimore Ravens will most likely be the key matchup to determine who makes the playoffs and who stays home. If Pittsburgh is for real, it will come out and play well in a do-or-die game. We will likely learn who this team truly is soon enough.

Part of the fans' issues is that there is not one player that has stood out and showed out consistently. However, former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has an idea of who should be in the conversation of team MVP. While hosting his show, Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger, he named one under-the-radar guy that could shock everyone and take the award. 

"[Brandin] Echols right now -- if you're talking about a team MVP, it's hard to find a guy," Roethlisberger said. "His name is in the ring, in the hat for sure."

The Steelers expected cornerback Brandin Echols to be a backup at multiple spots in the secondary with all the other moves the team made in the 2025 offseason. However, due to struggles and Jalen Ramsey having to move to safety, the veteran cornerback has had to take a larger share of the snaps on the outside and in the slot. Clearly, Roethlisberger is impressed with how he has handled his ever-changing situation in Pittsburgh. 

Through 13 games, Echols has allowed a 65.6 completion percentage, which would be the second worst in his career if it holds. However, he has been involved in a number of splash plays, as he also has two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, a sack, and six passes defended. He's been a bit of a mixed bag, but when he's on, he makes huge plays.

Echols' first interception of the year came in Week 3, as he picked off MVP-candidate Drake Maye in the end zone right before halftime to save a touchdown. With the Steelers winning by seven points, that ended up being a huge play. In Week 11, he forced a fumble that was picked up by James Pierre, who returned it for a touchdown. He also had a role in shutting down top wide receiver Ja'Marr Chase in that contest. 

Despite the unusually high completion percentage for Echols, he is on pace to have the second-lowest career averages for yards per completion, yards per target, and quarterback rating against. That, combined with his 42 tackles, indicates that he will allow the short completions and make the tackle before the receiver can get too far, as opposed to just outright getting beat. It's not a strong case for team MVP, but who on the team has a stronger case?

Steelers' Options For Team MVP

When fans have been asked this question on social media, the top answer is usually kicker Chris Boswell. Outside of one missed kick that was influenced by terrible turf, he has been as reliable as ever. He even made a game-winning career-long 60-yard field goal back in Week 1. He hasn't had any six-field goal games like he did in 2024, but he is still doing his job at an elite level, and he has the hearts of the fans. 

Ironically, the next best option may be another backup. Nick Herbig has become an analytical darling despite the fact that he has only played 61% of the defensive snaps in 2025, which include multiple games with less than 40% of the snaps. That just shows how strong his impact on the field is, with 6.5 sacks and five plays resulting in takeaways, which also includes a fumble recovered for a touchdown.

What do you think about Echols possibly being the Steelers' team MVP in 2025 thus far? Let us know in the comments or on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.

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