5 early free agents on offense for the Panthers to target in 2022
By Dean Jones
Ben Roethlisberger – QB
- 2021 team – Pittsburgh Steelers
The Carolina Panthers have doubled down on Sam Darnold being their long-term answer at quarterback. They’ve given him every possible chance to succeed in a different environment providing the protection holds out, so there will be no more excuses for the former USC star if he fails to make a better go of things at Bank of America Stadium.
Looking for a third starting quarterback in as many seasons would not be a good look for Matt Rhule. The Teddy Bridgewater experiment failed miserably and if the same thing happens with Darnold, the pressure will be on in a big way.
Ben Roethlisberger might not be a long-term fix to this ongoing problem and it’s clear the signal-caller is on the decline. But the Pittsburgh Steelers might be moving on from the player next year if he doesn’t bounce back and although it would be strange seeing him in another uniform, it might be something worth considering.
Roethlisberger has enjoyed a fantastic career that will surely end up with a place in the Pro Football Hall of Fame one day. The two-time Super Bowl champion has earned six Pro Bowl selections during his career and has proven one of the more durable quarterbacks in the league for more than 15 years.
Just how much Roethlisberger has left to give remains to be seen. However, if he returns to something like his old self in 2021 and Darnold keeps trending on a downward curve, the prospect of Carolina going after him isn’t out of the question.