(Photo by Patrick Smith/Getty Images)
Former Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor has been on record that the Steelers are delaying the process of getting an heir apparent to Ben Roethlisberger by bringing the 39-year-old quarterback back for another year, especially in a division with three young quarterbacks.
"The more years you wait, that's the further we've got to come along and the better those [AFC North] teams are gonna be. Steelers fans don't get mad for about four years when Pittsburgh ain't doing too good," Taylor said on 93.7 The Fan last month about the Steelers bringing his former teammate Roethlisberger back for another season.
Taylor also said that Roethlisberger needs to change his training regimen and get in better shape this offseason, along with being more committed to the run game. The Steelers ranked dead last in rushing yards per game last year (84.4) and Roethlisberger's 608 pass attempts were the third-most in the league.
"[Ben Roethlisberger] gotta change his offseason ... he's got to get 'in shape, shape.' And he's got to want to run that ball," Taylor said.
Taylor was on the "Minus Three Podcast" recently with Dave Dameshek and reasserted his stance on why the Steelers are getting behind the rest of the division at the quarterback position by continuing on with Roethlisberger.
"We measure success off of winning or hoisting Lombardi Trophies," Taylor said. "That hasn't been the case and how I look at things now, not only as a player, but I look at things like a general manager, like what would I do if I'm Kevin Colbert? So, and this is not a knock, he's going to be a first-ballot Hall of Famer, Ben Roethlisberger who I'm talking about -- but I look at that division, Shek, when I look at that division, the Cleveland Browns ain't the old Cleveland Browns no more. We all knew what Lamar Jackson and the Ravens and just the blueprint of the Ravens is -- it's like a Pittsburgh Steelers but over there on the East Coast of the United States. Then you look at what Joe Burrow did before he got hurt and you know, the sky's the limit for that kid.
"So I'm looking at it like, okay, if we wait two or three more years and try to find Ben's successor, Baker Mayfield's going to be ahead of the game. Joe Burrow's going to be ahead of the game. Lamar Jackson's going to be ahead of the game. So where's that going to leave the Pittsburgh Steelers? Because if we're looking at it now or last year, Seven had a nice little stat-wise -- what 33 touchdowns, 10 interceptions? That's not bad, but as a former Pittsburgh Steeler, if we aren't hoisting the Lombardi Trophy, that's really a wash for the season."
Dameshek countered Taylor's statement by saying there isn't really a realistic path to an upgrade to Roethlisberger right now, as their only other true options are Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins.
"You go on and put a Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins, you let them two boys fight it out right now and may the best man win. Now they're going to get experience and the reason why I'm saying this now you're not holding the organization back off the decision-making you decided to make. Then on top of that, they don't have a bad defense. Them boys got a good defense right now. So you might as well get a young quarterback in right now with a good defense. Don't ask him to do too much, go on tighten up your offensive line, get you a running back or two. Now we got action!"
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