Steelers Rumors: 'Some' in NFL Think Ben Roethlisberger 'Is Finished,' Not a Threat

Some within the NFL reportedly feel Ben Roethlisberger is "finished" as a difference-maker at the quarterback position.

Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to people around the league and found differing opinions of the future Hall of Famer, with some believing Roethlisberger is no longer capable of running an elite offense and others thinking he's been hampered by a bad scheme.

The Steelers have not scored a first-half touchdown in five games, the longest streak in franchise history, and were pummeled from start to finish in Sunday's 36-10 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Pittsburgh's lone touchdown came in garbage time, with Mike Tomlin seemingly keeping his starters in the game just to boost their confidence heading into the stretch run.

Roethlisberger threw for 159 yards and a touchdown against an interception while also losing a fumble. His 4.5 yards per attempt matched his single-game low since 2009 and is tied for the fifth-lowest mark of his career.

Roethlisberger has not confirmed he plans to retire after the 2021 season, but the writing has been on the wall since he returned on a one-year contract in the offseason.

"I'll address any of that stuff after the season. I've always been a one-game-at-a-time, one-season-at-a-time person. I'm going to stay that way," Roethlisberger told reporters earlier this month. 

Roethlisberger has thrown for 3,373 yards and 20 touchdowns against eight interceptions this season. He's taken on 35 sacks, his highest number since 2013, and fumbled eight times, his most since 2008.