PITTSBURGH — The Steelers and Ravens rivarly sits among the top rivalries in sports, so it is natural that the two teams players would talk about each other often.
Typically, this comes in the form of smack talk and other negative statements, but this is not always the case.
One recent case of the opposite occurred between two retired players from the rivalry, as Baltimore Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs had quite the praise for the former Steelers franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. In an appearance on The Rory and Mal Podcast, Suggs issued praise for his former opponent.
“I would say [Ben] Roethlisberger is underrated,” Suggs said. “He got more rings than [Aaron] Rodgers. He got more rings than [Drew] Brees. He got like more rings than [Dan] Marino. He’s got as many as Peyton and Eli [Manning]. So I would say Roethlisberger, he’s probably the most underrated.”
Suggs praise for Roethlisberger is not an uncommon sentiment, as many believe that the quarterback does not get the respect that he deserves when it comes to lauding him after his retirement.
It is important to point out that the rest of the quarterbacks, save for Aaron Rodgers and Drew Brees, have been out of the league long enough for the Pro Football Hall Of Fame to decide part of their legacy. Other than Eli Manning, all of the quarterbacks listed have been inducted into the Hall Of Fame, and Aaron Rodgers as well as Brees are nearly certain to follow when they are eligible.
Roethlisberger has a decent, although certainly regular-season heavy, argument for the Hall. If he does get in, it is fair to say that he would be properly rated as a top quarterback in the history of the league. If this does not happen, Suggs argument would ring more true, but it is currently too soon to say.
