Steelers Get Put On Blast As Former NFL GM Shuts Down Ben Roethlisberger’s Ravens Take

The Pittsburgh Steelers play in one of the toughest divisions in all of football. They're always competitive in their own right, usually in the playoff race, but the Baltimore Ravens and Cincinnati Bengals are always threats in the AFC. The Bengals haven't had much recent success, primarily due to injuries and a lack of spending on defense, but the division as a whole had a down year in 2026. Pittsburgh emerged victorious as division champions, but all three teams are slated to have big years in 2026. 

The Ravens haven't had the flashiest offseason. Their biggest move was signing edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, stealing one of their division rival's best defensive players. Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger recently said he believes the Ravens are falling apart and not on a good trajectory. With their players getting older and a new coaching staff in place, Roethlisberger does not believe they are an elite team anymore. Not only was that a hot take, but it also sparked an uproar in the media, with recent comments about Roethlisberger's statements. 

Former NFL GM and analyst Mike Tannenbaum recently spoke on an episode of Unsportsmanlike, where he put Roethlisberger and the Steelers on blast, believing the Ravens have a good nucleus of players, and even questioning the future of the Steelers.

"I think the Cincinnati Bengals, they're right there with the Ravens. I disagree with Ben Roethlisberger. Like, you have Lamar Jackson, Derrick Henry, and Zay Flowers. The Ravens deserve a lot of credit. They attacked their weakness, which was their pass rush," Tannenbaum said. "We'll see how good Jesse Minter is, I think he's gonna be a good coach. I have a lot more questions about the Steelers than I certainly do about the Ravens. Who's gonna be the Steelers' quarterback in a year?"

The Bengals finally paid more attention to their defense this offseason, making a blockbuster trade that sent the 10th overall pick in the 2026 NFL Draft to acquire superstar defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence. Not only that, but they made some key free agent signings on defense, including Boye Mafe, Jonathan Allen, and Bryan Cook. Cincinnati, for the first time in a long time, might boast a respectable defense, which is not good for the rest of the division. 

While Tannenbaum is right about the Ravens' nucleus of players, Derrick Henry is now 32 years old, and Lamar Jackson's mobility in 2025 is not what it once was. Baltimore was forced to revamp the interior of their offensive line after losing one of the best centers in the NFL in Tyler Linderbaum. There is absolutely good reason to believe the Ravens will repeat last season's underwhelming outcome, but Tannenbaum's questions about the Steelers' quarterback situation remains very real. 

Steelers Still Need Long-Term Quarterback Answer

While the Steelers re-signed Aaron Rodgers, he is still a temporary solution to the game's most important position. Rodgers is 42 and will turn 43 during the season, and he already claimed this season will be his last year in the NFL. So where do the Steelers go post-Rodgers? They have Will Howard waiting in the wings, who is in the running to be the team's QB2 this season, but there is too much uncertainty in the former sixth-round pick. 

Luckily for the Steelers, they brought in a coach who has a great history with quarterbacks in Mike McCarthy. Even if things do not work out with Howard and 2026 third-round pick Drew Allar, McCarthy will make sure he gets his guy one way or another. He should be able to help develop a quarterback who doesn't already have NFL experience, or the help of another Hall of Famer already on the roster. 

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