Former Steelers Pro Bowl QB Breaks Silence With Informative Explanation After Ugly Departure

Before the great Ben Roethlisberger era, the Pittsburgh Steelers struggled to find a successor to the legendary Terry Bradshaw. Lately, it hasn't been easy, either, with a new Week 1 signal-caller for five straight seasons, a streak that will be broken with Aaron Rodgers returning for another season in the Steel City (barring injury). The team couldn't find a quarterback to get them over the hump, but it came close with Neil O'Donnell, who led them to a Super Bowl, but he eventually left for the New York Jets. O'Donnell's departure led the Steelers into one of the more odd eras in the franchise's history. 

After O'Donnell came the Kordell Stewart era for the franchise. Stewart was a player ahead of his time, a rare dual-threat quarterback. In his first season as the starter, he led the team to an 11-5 season and an AFC Championship appearance. He would go on to be 48-29 as a starter for the organization, throwing 77 touchdowns to 84 interceptions, while also running for 35 touchdowns. 

Through his ups and downs, Stewart was never able to earn the confidence of then-head coach Bill Cowher, which ultimately led the organization to sign Tommy Maddox, who was never able to replicate Stewart's success. 

Stewart spoke up about how he felt after being replaced by Maddox. The former team MVP, who had made the Pro Bowl, was benched in favor of a lesser veteran, which led to an ugly departure. 

"It was like a dagger when Maddox came in," Stewart stated. "I went from team MVP to being benched. I didn't understand it. It was crazy to me. I’m not going to discuss too much of what was said – my conversation with Coach Cowher. It was the end for all of us. It just was enough. When Graham came and then he got hurt, I went in and played well, then I was benched again. I just didn't understand it – few quarterbacks get to the championship game then get benched… As for Cowher….he just wanted to move on, he said. He thought it would work better with those other guys. But, it didn't."

It may not have worked out for the organization in the short term, but switching to Maddox led the team to land Roethlisberger, who won two Super Bowls and played 18 seasons. Maddox, in his second season, went 6-11, giving the Steelers the 11th pick in a draft that featured Eli Manning, Philip Rivers, and Roethlisberger. While the situation may have been tough in the moment, Cowher surely has no regrets about how things turned out. 

Stewart didn't have much of a career post-Pittsburgh, starting only seven games the rest of his time in the NFL. It's unfortunate that things didn't work out with the Steelers, but the business aspect of the game is ruthless. Stewart was great in the regular season, but when the postseason came around, he wasn't the same player. This was likely why he was never able to earn Cowher's trust as the long-term answer. 

Steelers Did Make The Right Decision

While it may have taken some time, the Steelers found their franchise quarterback, and, arguably, the best in team history. Roethlisberger wasn't necessarily a stat freak, but he would make the crucial plays that won games. Things could have been very different for the Black and Gold had they hung on to Stewart, triggering a huge domino effect that would have changed team history. 

The NFL works in mysterious ways, and sometimes tough decisions, like moving on from a quarterback coming off a 13-3 season, can lead to two Super Bowls in the same decade. Hopefully, the search for their next franchise QB ends sooner rather than later. The Steelers haven't played in a Super Bowl since the 2010 season and likely won't again until they solve their quarterback issue with more than a band-aid. 

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