Steelers Great Ben Roethlisberger Identifies Frustrating Myth He Absolutely Hated

The Pittsburgh Steelers have spent years insisting they want to establish the run. That familiar promise has often produced plenty of attempts without consistently creating the efficient ground attack required to control games. Former quarterback Ben Roethlisberger believes the franchise must finally stop confusing volume with actual effectiveness.

Pittsburgh's offense will revolve around Aaron Rodgers in 2026, but asking the veteran quarterback to carry everything would create a dangerous imbalance. Opposing defenses become considerably more aggressive when they know an offense cannot gain dependable yardage on the ground. The Steelers need their rushing attack to produce manageable situations rather than merely satisfy an outdated identity.

Roethlisberger addressed that distinction during the latest episode of Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger. His frustration came from hearing the same simplistic solution throughout his playing career.

"I'll tell you this: It will come down to, can we run the ball?" Roethlisberger said. "I got so tired of hearing, when I used to play for a lot of years, 'We have to run the ball more.' No, we don't have to run the ball more. We have to run the ball more efficiently and effectively."

That correction should sound familiar to Steelers fans. Pittsburgh has repeatedly treated rushing attempts as evidence of a successful physical identity, even when those carries created little space, failed to generate explosive plays and left the quarterback facing obvious passing situations.

The 2024 season offered the clearest example. Only Philadelphia and Baltimore ran the football at a higher rate than Pittsburgh, which called a run on 52.1% of its offensive plays. Najee Harris received 263 carries and produced his fourth consecutive 1,000-yard season, but averaged only 4.0 yards per attempt.

Those numbers were respectable, but the high volume did not transform Pittsburgh into an imposing offense. Harris and the entire running attack recorded poor numbers far too often. The Steelers regularly stayed committed to the ground game without consistently making defenses fear it.

Roethlisberger believes the standard is much simpler. Pittsburgh must be able to hand the ball off and trust that the play will create something useful. Three yards may not appear impressive, but consistently avoiding negative plays keeps the entire offense available to Mike McCarthy.

"If we literally can't hand the ball off and pick up three yards, and it's just like, okay, we become one-dimensional, it will be harder to win," Roethlisberger said. "Aaron and the receivers we have... and can the line hold up? We can be one-dimensional and win, but our line better be good at pass protection."

Rodgers possesses enough experience and accuracy to win games through the air. Pittsburgh also built a receiving group intended to give him legitimate options. However, becoming completely dependent upon that formula would place enormous pressure on an offensive line that must protect a 42-year-old quarterback for an entire season.

A credible ground game changes that equation. Successful early-down carries can slow the pass rush, create favorable play-action opportunities and prevent defenses from dictating every important snap. Empty rushing volume does none of those things.

Steelers Need Jaylen Warren And Rico Dowdle To Change The Formula

Jaylen Warren and Rico Dowdle give Pittsburgh a promising opportunity to build the efficient combination Roethlisberger described. Warren rushed for 958 yards while averaging 4.5 yards per carry in 2025. Dowdle arrived after producing consecutive 1,000-yard seasons with two different teams and owns a career average of 4.5 yards per attempt.

Both runners can contribute on passing downs, break tackles and handle substantial workloads. McCarthy does not need to force an artificial division of carries or chase a predetermined rushing total. He can ride whichever player is producing and use their versatility to keep defenses from identifying Pittsburgh's intentions.

Roethlisberger's message is not that the Steelers must abandon their traditional identity. He is demanding a better version of it. Pittsburgh cannot celebrate 30 carries if too many lead nowhere and Rodgers repeatedly inherits third-and-long.

The offense does not need to lead the NFL in rushing attempts. It needs Warren, Dowdle and the offensive line to make every carry threatening enough that defenses cannot sell out against Rodgers. If Pittsburgh accomplishes that, its passing game becomes harder to contain. If it fails, Roethlisberger already identified the burden that could decide the season.

Can Warren and Dowdle finally give Pittsburgh the efficient running game its offense has been missing? Share your Steelers takes with me on X (@anthonyghalkias), and follow for more Black and Gold coverage and discussion. 

#SteelerNation