Despite Roethlisberger’s Hall of Fame credentials, the “first-ballot” label is elusive. Many legends, including Vince Lombardi and Otto Graham, were not first-year inductees. With only four Modern Era players gaining entry in 2025, the voting process was more selective than in past years.

To say the least, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been very critical of the Steelers organization lately. He

This is the position the Pittsburgh Steelers find them in. The Steelers are playing in 2025 with a philosophy from 2010 and unfortunately, they are being outpaced by the rest of the league. Fans have been saying this for a long time but it was good to hear former Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger support this on his Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger Podcast.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are in a bit of an identity crisis. Each year that passes, the franchise gets further and further away from its 1970s domination and closer and closer to perhaps the worst fate that can befall an organization: mediocrity.