Mandatory Disclaimer: Yes, I realize that Ben Roethlisberger is the most important player on the team. The question is who is the best player on the team. For years, I at least have taken it for granted that the best player on the team was Ben Roethlisberger. As I think back, the only players who I would consider a challenge even in that department would be Troy Polamalu and Jerome Bettis. Recent years have only solidified Roethlisberger's standing as not only elite, but historically great. However, at the same time, another player on offense has climbed to such stellar greatness that the Steelers' biggest star may no longer be our quarterback.
That player is Antonio Brown, who was actually nominated for the title of best player in the entire NFL in the upcoming ESPY's, an award nobody really cares about but illustrates just how big a star Brown has become. Dancing with the Stars certainly helped him in that regard, even though he couldn't equal the success of his predecessor Hines Ward (who I'm sure has reminded Brown of that fact). Despite coming up short as a dancer, and the near inevitably of ESPN favorite Tom Brady beating him out for the ESPY, though, Brown's status at the top of the league at his position is now basically undisputed.
Brown's greatness goes beyond popularity, though. He's got the skills and production on the field to back it up. After leading the league in yards and receptions in 2014 with 129 catches for 1,700 yards and 13 TD's, Brown proved it was no fluke by surpassing those marks with 136 catches for 1,800 yards (1st and 2nd in the league) and 10 TD's despite playing without his starting QB for more than 4 games.
To put Brown's greatness in perspective, it can help to take a look at his records. Speaking of playing without his starting QB, Brown's record streak of games with at least 5 receptions and 50 yards was ended at 35 by Mike Vick. Such consistency is so amazing it really needs its own perspective. Before Brown, no player had hit the 5/50 mark for all 16 games of a single season, and AB did it for 2 seasons. This productivity is also manifested as records for the most receptions in a 2 year span and 3 year span in league history. For single season marks, his 4 games over 175 yards last season makes another record. He currently owns the 4th and 8th best seasons for receiving yards in NFL history, and the 2nd and 4th best marks for receptions.
Brown hasn't really been productive long enough to fully establish himself historically, but he's had as many great seasons as Gale Sayers, who everyone remembers. The scary thing too is that he's actually still improving statistically. Aside from the fact that it's hard to believe he could get even better, there's no reason to suggest that he's hit his ceiling in terms of ability and productivity. The question for 2017 isn't just "can he do it again," but "how many more yards can he get?" With a healthy Big Ben for 16 games, based on his averages last year, Brown could break the 2,000 yard barrier in 2017 - by a lot.
Speaking of Big Ben, it's only fair that point out that he's not going to cede the title of the team's best player without a fight. There's no doubting Antonio Brown's greatness, but you've got to be more than just great to be the best player on a team that also features Ben Roethlisberger.
Big Ben has been a big name in the NFL since breaking just about every record there is for rookie QB's in 2004. Winning a pair of Super Bowl's didn't do anything to erase his name from the popular discussion of great quarterbacks, and his unique ability to extend plays has been rightly praised for a long time. He reached a new level of recognition in 2014, though, when he impressed the casual fans who care about nothing but volume by leading the league in yards and throwing 6 TD's in consecutive games (an NFL record) on prime time TV.
Roethlisberger has really been great for a long time, though, even without gaudy stats in blowout wins and shootouts. Roethlisberger is 13th all time in career passing yards and still going strong (4th among active players), 9th all time in passer rating (7th among active players), and tied for 7th in yards per attempt (3rd among active players). He's also the only player in history to throw for over 500 yards in a game twice.
There's no doubt what Ben is capable of anymore. He's been doing it for years and has fully proven his reliability and his ability to completely dominate when given the opportunity. However, you can also say that in a way he too is improving. At least the team is improving around him and with the weapons now at his disposal we're seeing for the first time in terms of volume production what he's really capable of. His breakout year in 2014 followed on the heels of one of his better years in 2013 and would've been eclipsed by a significant margin in 2015 except for injury. This is partly due to the refining influence of offensive coordinator Todd Haley during this time period, and also the reciprocal relationship with Antonio Brown, who benefits from Roethlisberger just like Roethlisberger benefits from Brown.
There's two ends to a completed pass, and both Brown and Roethlisberger benefit greatly from the other. Both make the other better, and in the end that's what it's all about. Being the best team is far bigger than who is the best player, but if you had to pick who the best player on the Steelers is, now you could make a very strong case that Antonio Brown, not Ben Roethlisberger, is the premier talent on the team.