If Ben Roethlisberger Retires, the Steelers' First Option Is Already Here

The Pittsburgh Steelers don't have many choices to replace Ben Roethlisberger - if they need to.

PITTSBURGH -- Two weeks ago, the question on whether or not Ben Roethlisberger would return for another season with the Pittsburgh Steelers seemed answered. 

The Steelers need the 38-year-old quarterback to cut his $41.25 million cap hit down in order to accommodate their salary cap issues, and Roethlisberger seemed willing to oblige. 

Then, things changed. Steelers All-Pro center Maurkice Pouncey decided to hang up his cleats one last time, alongside his brother Mike, and retire from the NFL after 11 seasons. 

Now, Roethlisberger's return would feature a new center and offensive coordinator, likely a new running back, and there's a chance he loses his top wide receiver. 

Add it all together, and it's starting to feel like Roethlisberger's return is pretty up in the air at this point.

So, what happens if he retires? Do the Steelers dig into the NFL Draft and hope to find an immediate starter? Do they consider reaching out to other teams in hopes of landing a trade? Or, do they run with Mason Rudolph, Josh Dobbs and Dwayne Haskins and hope one of the three is good enough to keep this team competitive? 

The Steelers are struggling to find enough cap space to resign their needed pieces, let alone dig into free agency hoping to land a big-name QB. With Roethlisberger on the roster, they're looking at -$25 million in cap space. If Big Ben leaves, that number can be reduced by about $14 million. 

That essentially eliminates the ability to try and trade for a name like Carson Wentz or Deshaun Watson. 

The NFL Draft presents possibilities, but the only quarterback that could be left standing at pick 24 is probably Mac Jones. Yes, a quality college quarterback, but not as highly thought of as the four names before him like Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson. 

Jones is a risk for a team that needs a new starting center, running back, a backup tight end, some offensive and defensive line depth, a backup inside linebacker and probably a cornerback. 

Which leaves Rudolph and Haskins. The Steelers took a very effortless shot on Haskins, signing him to a Reserve/Future contract once their season ended. The former Ohio State standout has had his troubles in a short NFL career, but it doesn't take away from his talent on the field. 

The belief is that there's potential in Haskins to turn his career around. The Steelers aren't known to put up with many off-the-field issues, leaving Haskins' chances slim - hopefully, kicking his efforts into overdrive.

And then, there's Rudolph. A 5-4 starter in the NFL, whose last start ended with 315 passing yards, two touchdowns and an interception, earning a 89.2 QBR. 

"I thought he displayed that he took a step in growth and development in his performance, even though it was a small sample size," head coach Mike Tomlin said on Rudolph's 2020 performance. "I would imagine that he is going to continue with that growth and development."

Tomlin's response didn't have the "we're giving the job to Mason" feel it should've. But at the same time, it gave confidence that this team saw more out of Rudolph in his single start than they believed they would.

It's not the perfect option, but the Steelers don't have the perfect scenario this offseason, and if Big Ben decides his career is over, Pittsburgh is going to turn to Rudolph with their first attempt at replacing him. 

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.