NFL coaches pay Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger the highest compliment

By Nunzio Ingrassia
Published

Ben Roethlisberger is coming off an injury-shortened season, but that doesn't mean he's lost a step. That's what some opposing coaches said when asked about the Steelers veteran QB at the NFL owners meetings.

Arizona Cardinals head coach Bruce Arians, Big Ben's former offensive coordinator from 2007-11, believes Roethlisberger is right at the top of the best QB conversation.

"Right in the top three," Arians told ESPN. "I don't know who the other two are ... I feel like he is [No. 1]. He's won two Super Bowls. He's done all the things the other guys have done. He doesn't get the credit for it."

Big Ben, 34,  dealt with knee, foot and shoulder issues in 2015 and also suffered a concussion, limiting him to 12 games. But he still almost threw for 4,000 yards, furthering his reputation as being one of the toughest quarterbacks in the game.

Ben Roethlisberger led the NFL with 4,952 passing yards in 2014.

Vikings head coach Mike Zimmer, who believes Big Ben is up there with Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers, said his teams have given him "some of the best hits he's ever had, and he gets up and shakes them off."

"Roethlisberger, Brady, Rodgers, those guys, when they have the ball in their hands at the end of the game, it's scary for a defense," Zimmer told the outlet. "[Roethlisberger] is a great competitor, throws the ball extremely well. He's very much like really all the great quarterbacks. Over the years, we gave him some of the best hits he's ever had and he gets up and shakes them off."

Even Cincinnati Bengals head coach Marvin Lewis, who's had to face Roethlisberger twice a season for Roethlisberger's career, can't help but praise the Steelers' signal-caller.

"He should be [among the best], for what he's done," Lewis. "He's been a tremendous quarterback but also probably a better leader of the football team."

Roethlisberger, who led the NFL with 4,952 passing yards in 2014, has spent his entire 12-year career in Pittsburgh, and has the full support of his general manager. As long as Big Ben stays healthy, many expect him to return to his star status.