Mark Madden: Ben Roethlisberger will be AFC North's best quarterback, not worst

Former NFL general manager Mike Tannenbaum says Ben Roethlisberger might be the fourth-best quarterback in the AFC North.

“I would rather see the ball in the hands of Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield or even Joe Burrow,” Tannenbaum said on ESPN.

While he was the New York Jets GM, Tannenbaum drafted Mark Sanchez fifth overall. Roethlisberger might err, but he won’t butt-fumble. Tannenbaum also traded for Tim Tebow.

So Tannenbaum isn’t exactly an expert on quarterbacking. It’s a much better bet that Roethlisberger is the division’s best quarterback, not its worst.

There’s certainly risk involved with that wager. Roethlisberger is 38. He had major reconstructive elbow surgery. He played just two games in 2019. In 2018, his last full season, he threw a league-high 16 interceptions. (He also led the NFL in passing yards with 5,129.)

His strong arm at training camp duly noted, Roethlisberger likely has reached the stage of his career where less is more. He needs to meld being a gunslinger with being a game manager. If he leads the NFL in pass attempts like he did in 2018, that won’t be good. The Steelers had Antonio Brown in 2018, and even that potent aerial combination didn’t get them in the playoffs.

There’s a tightrope there. Is Roethlisberger willing to walk it?

Good question. Peyton Manning changed his game. Brett Favre never did.

How Tannenbaum’s prediction plays out might determine who wins the AFC North.

Burrow, Cincinnati’s rookie QB, certainly has pedigree as the No. 1 pick overall. But the Bengals still stink. Not playing preseason games will slow Burrow’s development. But after going 2-10 against divisional foes the past two years, Burrow’s sheer talent should make Cincinnati better. Who he beats in the AFC North will weigh heavily in the final standings.

There’s no doubting Jackson’s MVP performance of last year. But as he enters his third season in the NFL and just his second full year starting, will foes figure him out? That’s clichéd, but it happens. Baltimore also has an average group of wide receivers.

After two seasons, Mayfield looks like a bust — albeit one with lots of endorsements. Tannenbaum predicts the former first overall pick will be better than Roethlisberger. But it’s not crazy to think Case Keenum takes Mayfield’s job by midseason. Cleveland has a lot of weaponry, but Mayfield is a lot closer to Johnny Manziel than he is to Otto Graham.

Mayfield might be the division’s fifth-best QB. Heck, he might only be ahead of Duck Hodges.

Roethlisberger’s return guarantees the Steelers will do better in the red zone.

They can’t help but improve. In 2019, sans Roethlisberger, the Steelers ranked last in red-zone efficiency at 35%. In 2018, with Roethlisberger, they were first at 73.4%.

But the current red-zone offense could turn out to be special. New additions Eric Ebron (6-foot-5, 250 pounds) and Chase Claypool (6-4, 238) are big targets who can work vertically. Ebron led the NFL with 11 red-zone touchdowns in 2018. The presence of Ebron and Claypool provides room for the Steelers’ quicker receivers to work horizontally. It’s an incendiary mix.

A No. 1 receiver needs to step up. Here’s betting it’s Diontae Johnson and not JuJu Smith-Schuster, who might be distracted by selling underwear.

As always, it comes down to quarterback. Even Tannenbaum knows that.

Roethlisberger has looked great at camp. So did Evgeni Malkin before shooting 0 for 21 from the field in the Penguins’ playoff loss to Montreal. Roethlisberger is attempting a historic comeback of sorts after tearing three elbow tendons off the bone and feeling pain in that elbow for “probably 13, 14 years.” (Dr. Ben might be my favorite version of Roethlisberger.)

With all due respect to the GM who drafted the butt-fumble QB fifth overall, here’s predicting Roethlisberger is the AFC North’s best quarterback in 2020.

If that happens, the Steelers can win the division. Cracks are showing in Baltimore. The Ravens won’t go 14-2 again, maybe not anywhere close.