(Photo by Patrick McDermott/Getty Images)
Through four games, Ben Roethlisberger looks all but done. He's just not the same quarterback that he once was. However, Mike Tomlin still has confidence in his future Hall of Fame quarterback.
Tomlin was asked today at his weekly press conference if Roethlisberger is the best quarterback for the Steelers offense, and Tomlin replied, "absolutely."
“What he does and what he’s done makes me really comfortable in saying that,” Tomlin said.
The Steelers sit at 1-3 and Roethlisberger has pedestrian numbers, completing 109 of 170 passes (64.1%) for 1,033 yards and has a 4-4 touchdown-interception ratio, along with a 78.9 quarterback rating. Roethlisberger's completing 64 percent of his passes but gaining only 6.1 yards per attempt. That’s down from even last year when he averaged 6.3 yards per attempt.
Tomlin said everything is fixable but mobility in regards to Roethlisberger.
“Everything except mobility,” Tomlin said. “I don’t have an answer for that or lack thereof. Ben used to be able to run really good when he was young. Those days are behind him.”
“Other than that, I don’t see much that isn’t a discussion in terms of technical alterations or quality of play that can be improved.
The Steelers have Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins behind Roethlisberger, which really isn't encouraging. But I don't know if they can do much worse than Roethlisberger right now. The offense is just a dumpster fire altogether.
Roethlisberger is also taking a beating behind this offensive line, and Tomlin revealed today that Roethlisberger is also dealing with a hip injury along with a left pectoral injury. Which makes you wonder if the Steelers will eventually place Roethlisberger on injured reserve with an "injury" at some point this season. Not saying that will happen, but it wouldn't be surprising given the state of Roethlisberger's play and all the hits he's been absorbing.