Tom Brady’s NFL career was defined by battles with some of the greatest quarterbacks to ever play the game - Peyton Manning, Drew Brees, Aaron Rodgers, Patrick Mahomes. But there was one rival he saw more than most, and one he clearly holds in high regard: Ben Roethlisberger.
Brady and Roethlisberger were fixtures in the AFC for nearly two decades, their careers overlapping from start to finish. While Brady often came out on top in their head-to-head matchups, he recently took a moment to highlight just how much respect he had for the longtime Steelers quarterback - especially when it came to one specific skill set: making magic outside the pocket.
“The best guy I saw do it my entire career was Ben Roethlisberger,” Brady said in a recent NFL on FOX interview. “There’s nobody that made more unstructured plays outside of the pocket - big plays, scramble plays - to his receivers than Ben Roethlisberger. Ben was absolutely a magician back there.”
That’s high praise coming from a quarterback who built his legacy on precision, timing, and surgical execution from the pocket. Brady has never been known for his mobility, so watching Roethlisberger - a 6-foot-5, 240-pound quarterback who could shake off defenders like a tight end and then launch a 40-yard dart on the move - was something he clearly appreciated.
Roethlisberger’s ability to extend plays wasn’t just a flashy trait - it was a cornerstone of Pittsburgh’s offense during his 18-year run. He thrived in chaos, often turning broken plays into game-changing moments. Whether it was shrugging off a blitzing linebacker or escaping pressure to find a receiver downfield, Roethlisberger made life miserable for defenses trying to keep him contained.
That improvisational brilliance helped fuel a Hall of Fame-caliber career, including two Super Bowl titles and countless clutch performances. He wasn’t always the most polished passer, but when the play broke down, Big Ben was often at his best - and Brady, a master of structure, recognized the value in that kind of unpredictability.
In a league that increasingly values quarterbacks who can create off-script, Roethlisberger was ahead of his time. And when someone like Tom Brady - a player who redefined excellence at the position - calls you a magician, you know you left a mark on the game.