Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has people upset again. Thankfully it’s just a controversial take and not something more serious.
Appearing on the Footbahlin Podcast, Big Ben ripped Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson – who he played against several times before his retirement after the 2021 season. He said that teams don’t need to fear Jackson sitting in the pocket and that his biggest threat is as a mobile thrower.
“You don’t fear him just sitting in the pocket and picking you apart,” Roethlisberger said at one point.
As you might imagine, fans promptly took to Twitter to start picking Roethlisberger apart instead. While many joked about the many legal controversies he’s gotten into, others tried to point out that he was simply wrong:
Career IN POCKET
LJax
66.2 Comp%
11.6 YD/Comp
5.8 TD/ATT%
EPA per play NO pressure 0.20
EPA per play WITH pressure -0.24
6.2 Deep Comp%Ben
65.0 Comp%
9.72 YD/Comp
4.4 TD/ATT%
EPA per play NO pressure 0.05
EPA per play NOT pressured -0.48
5.04 Deep Comp%https://t.co/kAuXgzLeLN— Jake Ciely (@allinkid) April 13, 2023
Don’t think there’s a single player in any sport from a team I’m not a fan of/previously affiliated with im rooting harder for to win a chip than Lamar man these games are heinous https://t.co/Uw5d1LWXPf
— Oni Omoile (@Oni_Omoile) April 13, 2023
Ppl so mad when it’s just the truth lol Ben wasn’t feared in the pocket until well into his career either https://t.co/7GflQDoy40
— Snyd$ (@ChopChop570) April 13, 2023
Yknow who I fear Big Ben around? https://t.co/aCSG6lG6X0
— fitted facing the world (@jumpoutjae) April 13, 2023
As you can see, Lamar Jackson statistically isn’t as bad as a pocket passer as some people seem to think he is.
While he may not have a rocket arm like Tom Brady or pinpoint accuracy like Patrick Mahomes, Jackson’s combination of abilities have allowed him to carve a rock-solid niche in the NFL and even win an MVP award in his second NFL season.
But it’s probably going to take a Super Bowl to silence the haters for good. And even then, Roethlisberger will still have twice as many as he does.