It's about as rare as a blue moon, but the Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers do occasionally have nice things to say about each other. Even members of the late 2000s/early 2010s teams, when the rivalry was at its most intense, can make kind comments.
The latest example comes from legendary Ravens edge rusher Terrell Suggs, the team's all-time sack leader with 132.5 over 16 seasons in purple and black. During an appearance on " The Rory and Mal Podcast ," Suggs named longtime Steelers star Ben Roethlisberger as one of the league's most underrated quarterbacks.
"I would say 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."
Roethlisberger, who spent his entire 18-year career with the Steelers, was undoubtedly a great player in his prime. The 43-year-old earned six Pro Bowl selections and two first-team All-Pro nods throughout his career, and he of course led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowls in 2005 and 2008.
Just over three years after his retirement, though, it does feel like the league has moved on relatively quickly.
Some other quarterbacks with comparable careers, such as his fellow 2004 draftee Eli Manning, seem to receive much more attention after their playing days. Maybe it's because of the off-field controversy that followed Roethlisberger throughout his career, but it is still somewhat strange that a great quarterback has been largely brushed aside in the broader NFL landscape.
Suggs had 15 career sacks against the Steelers, his second-most against any single team, and the vast majority of those were on Roethlisberger. These two potential Hall of Famers have had plenty of thrilling battles over the years, so their mutual respect is more than warranted.
