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The offseason is a tough time of year for everyone, including analysts. Many times, people who shouldn’t be giving out offseason lists of any kind are asked to do so to fill content requirements for said media outlet.
In retrospect, this is exactly what it looks like when NFL.com assigned former top pick David Carr to rank his Top-10 quarterbacks entering the 2018 regular season. For clarification, I’m going to leave the fact he ranked his brother, Derek Carr, 4th in the league, and focus solely on where he ranked Ben Roethlisberger.
Actually, he didn’t rank Roethlisberger.
According to Carr, he doesn’t feel Roethlisberger is a Top-10 quarterback anymore in the NFL. Who was? Check out his list below:
David Carr’s Top 10 QB List:
1. Tom Brady
2. Aaron Rodgers
3. Drew Brees
4. Derek Carr
5. Russell Wilson
6. Matthew Stafford
7. Philip Rivers
8. Matt Ryan
9. Cam Newton
10. Jimmy Garropolo
So, what was his explanation for leaving Roethlisberger off his list?
Why is Ben Roethlisberger off my list? Yes, he’s a future Hall of Famer and there’s no doubt he can still help the Steelers. But he has the most talented skill players in the league on his unit, and that pair -- Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell -- makes him look great 14 seasons in. I don’t think Big Ben could win a ton of games without them at this stage in his career.
Roethlisberger shouldn’t feel alone. Joining him in the “just missed” category were DeShaun Watson of the Houston Texans, and Carson Wentz of the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles.
Almost all Steelers fans will find this “take” absolutely asinine, but is there also some credence to these thoughts? Has Roethlisberger played well in past years due to the talent around him?
You’re entitled to your opinion, but I’ll answer this question with a resounding NO. Joe Montana didn’t have to apologize for having Jerry Rice as a weapon on a daily basis, and neither should Roethlisberger with Antonio Brown. Nonetheless, I want to know what you think of all this? Is Carr losing his mind, or is there some truth in what he said? Let us know in the comment section below!