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Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger had a tremendous 2014 season, one for the record books as he was under 50 yards away from throwing for 5,000 yards on the season - a feat he has yet to accomplish. His 32 touchdowns tied a career high for him, and his 9 interceptions marked his best touchdown to interception ratio since being drafted in 2004.
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The debate constantly ensues regarding Roethlisberger's place among the NFL's quarterbacks. Should he be considered "elite", or is he a second tier quarterback? SI.com recently ranked all 32 NFL signal callers, and they ranked Roethlisberger 5th. See what they had to say about the ranking, as well as where some familiar quarterbacks fell on the list.
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers
Has evolved from a randomized, talent-based quarterback to a fully cerebral field general. And the talent's still there.
Short and sweet, and also extremely accurate. Roethlisberger has evolved from a quarterback who's success was consistently attributed to the team's tremendous defense, to a quarterback with the ability to carry the team to victory. With the team giving Roethlisberger a healthy contract extension, fans of the Steelers will get the privilege of watching Roethlisberger in the prime of his career with an offensive unit which could be considered the best in the NFL at the conclusion of the 2015 season.
What about the top 10? Check out who SI.com has as the Top 10 quarterbacks in the NFL:
10. Tony Romo, Dallas Cowboys
9. Matt Ryan, Atlanta Falcons
8. Joe Flacco, Baltimore Ravens
7. Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
6. Philip Rivers, San Diego Chargers
5. Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers
4. Peyton Manning, Denver Broncos
3. Andrew Luck, Indianapolis Colts
2. Aaron Rodgers, Green Bay Packers
1. Tom Brady, New England Patriots
The debate will most likely ensue with the thought of Manning and Luck ahead of Roethlisberger. Manning had a very underwhelming 2014 season, and his reputation seems to have put him 4th, not his play as of late. The media love affair with Andrew Luck is growing stronger by the day. Most will argue how horrendous the AFC South is, where the Colts reside, but Luck has yet to even make it to a Super Bowl. Putting him ahead of Roethlisberger is a difficult thing to do, but is happening with high frequency.
Roethlisberger being a top 5 quarterback is spot on. You could list these players any number of ways, and any way you slice it, Roethlisberger should be in the top 5 when it comes to the NFL's elite quarterbacks.