4 Reasons the Pittsburgh Steelers Need to Get a Legit Backup QB

Ben Roethlisberger is the man in Pittsburgh, but the Steelers need to find a suitable backup as a Plan B if Roethlisberger goes down.

Last season, he played in 15 games and only missed the season finale. Roethlisberger did so playing through the pain, as he accumulated a number of injuries over the season. Instead of letting their franchise guy rest until back at full-strength, the Steelers had Roethlisberger behind center.

This is due to the fact that without Ben, they lacked an adequate quarterback and were not confident enough in their reserves to win games. The following are some reasons the Steelers need to get a new quarterback and a couple of options for who that might be.

The 2-14 Indianapolis Colts

After the Colts' meltdown with Peyton Manning's injury holding him out of the 2011-2012 season, every NFL team is probably looking to improve their talent at backup quarterback.

The Colts were completely unprepared for life without Manning, and it showed as the team struggled to function without him.

Roethlisberger does not have as much of an impact on his team as Manning, but the Steelers would still struggle in his absence. Injuries are an unexpected, but annual thing in football.

The Steelers lost backups Dennis Dixon and Byron Leftwich to injury throughout the season, and were lucky Roethlisberger didn't sustain any injuries that were season-ending.

The State of the O-Line

The perfect mixture of Ben's trying to make plays and the line's inability to block makes for a perfect reason the Steelers need a savvy backup.

Roethlisberger will undoubtedly take his hits; the offensive line gave up 42 sacks last season. If the Steelers expect someone to come in and win in Roethlisberger's absence, he has to be able to handle the pressure.

This means they need someone who is tough-minded and won't get overwhelmed by the everlasting pass rush. Options of this type of backup could be found in the draft or free agency.

There Will Be Options Late in the Draft

One way the Steelers could acquire a legit backup would be through the draft. Of course the Steelers would not be pressured to get someone to start Day 1, so they could wait to pick a quarterback in a later round.

One guy who won't get taken in the first couple of rounds is Houston quarterback Case Keenum. Pegged as a system quarterback, the Steelers can groom him into a solid backup option. There's no doubt that Keenum can throw the ball. His stats at Houston jump off the page at you: 19,217 yards, 155 touchdowns and just 46 interceptions.

Keenum spent five seasons playing quarterback at Houston and is 23 years old. This means that the Steelers won't have to worry about babysitting him.

If you don't think a rookie can help a playoff team, then you'd have to look no further than Houston's professional team, the Texans. They had TJ Yates start late in the season because of injuries, and he even won a playoff game.

There Are Options in Free Agency

The Steelers are a perennial playoff team, which can lure free agents to pack their bags for Pittsburgh. They are not known for making a big splash in free agency, but bringing in a legit backup quarterback isn't too flashy and seems like a smart move.

They have already signed Troy Smith and Jerrod Johnson to contracts. Smith may compete for the backup job, but there are better quarterbacks available.

Jason Campbell has had a rough time in the NFL, and things didn't get better when his Raiders invested in Carson Palmer after he got injured. Campbell could get a fresh start in Pittsburgh, and the Steelers would feel safe with him taking over the offense.

He is a veteran who has started and had some success in the NFL. Along with Campbell, Kyle Orton is another free agent quarterback I could see them signing. Either of these guys could carry the load if Ben went down.