Steelers: Dark-horse Ben Roethlisberger replacement will skip his bowl game

A potential Ben Roethlisberger replacement will skip his bowl game.

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has been the subject of retirement rumors throughout this season. According to Adam Schefter of ESPN, Roethlisberger privately informed some people within the Steelers’ organization that he expects this season to be his final playing quarterback for the franchise:

Roethlisberger directly addressed the report stating, “I haven’t told everybody that.”

That statement does not sound like a denial.

Regardless, the Steelers’ front office will likely be searching for a new starting quarterback this offseason.

Steelers: Dark-horse Ben Roethlisberger replacement to skip bowl game

The NFL Draft will provide the organization with several appealing options at the quarterback position such as Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett and Liberty’s Malik Willis. One dark horse to watch is Nevada’s Carson Strong.

Strong will reportedly skip Nevada’s bowl game against Western Michigan.

Strong is not projected to be a first-round pick at the moment. However, certain teams could be higher on Strong than the current consensus, according to Mike Garafolo of NFL Network.

Strong is coming off the best season of his college career. In 12 games, he racked up 4,186 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns, while throwing only eight interceptions. Strong has a strong arm and thrives as a pocket passer. He could be a nice fit in Pittsburgh’s offense.

One of the biggest questions surrounding Strong is his health. He has a history of knee injuries, and his medicals will highly influence his draft stock.

If the Steelers want to target Strong in the NFL Draft, they are well-positioned to acquire him. Right now, the Steelers have the 15th overall pick, which is higher than most mock drafts are projecting Strong to be taken. Additionally, there is a possibility that Strong may still be on the board for their second-round selection.