Was pairing of Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown the best QB-WR duo the league has ever seen?
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger officially retired from the game yesterday.
Big Ben piled up Hall-of-Fame worthy stats in his 18-year career by registering 64,088 passing yards, 418 touchdowns, and retired with an impressive 93.5 passer rating.
Roethlisberger has played with many great receivers in his career. From the tough Hines Ward, who was arguably the best blocking-receiver ever, to Santonio Holmes, who had one of the biggest catches ever in Super Bowl history, to Antonio Brown, who at one point was the best receiver in the league for a few years.
Antonio Brown thinks he and Ben Roethlisberger were the best QB-WR duo
By the numbers, Ben's favorite player to throw the ball to in his career was Antonio Brown. The two were a legendary duo in the 2010 era, and one of the best duos of all-time.
But were they the best duo of all time?
Following Ben's retirement, many NFL players, teams, and social media accounts congratulated Ben on his retirement. One of those players to congratulate Ben was former teammate and wide receiver Antonio Brown.
#7 #SteelerNation #BigBen #PitnotthePalace
Best tandem in the NFL, Congrats Legend 👑 #7 #SteelerNation #BigBen #PitnotthePalace https://t.co/uwf91N6FSN
Brown can back up his statement, as Roethlisberger and Brown's numbers together are proof that they are indeed amongst the best duos in NFL history. They combined for 78 touchdowns together (6th-most for any duo.)
In nine seasons together, Brown had 804 receptions, 10,768 yards playing 120 games together. Brown made seven pro-bowls and was a four-time, first-team All-Pro.
He led the league in receiving yards twice (2014, 2017) as well as total receptions (2014 & 2015).
The numbers say the best QB-WR duo ever was Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison
While Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown were a great duo, their numbers don't compare to the legendary duo of Peyton Manning and Marvin Harrison. In their 11 seasons they spent together with the Indianapolis Colts, Manning and Harrison put up some mind-blowing stats.
The duo combined for 114 touchdowns, the most by any duo in NFL history. That alone is enough to put this tandem at number one.
Harrison recorded 965 catches for 12,878 yards and 114 total touchdowns. With Manning throwing him the ball, the pair helped to lead the Indianapolis Colts to win Super Bowl XLI.
Harrison led the league in receiving yards twice (1999 and 2002), and total receptions (2000 and 2002.) The stats and longevity of this duo will likely make them the best ever.
Joe Montana and Jerry Rice QB-WR tandem
Another quarterback-receiver duo that is certainly near the top of this list is Joe Montana and Jerry Rice. In their time together with the San Francisco 49ers, the team won five division titles, recorded double-digit victories six times, won two Super Bowls and Rice had six 1,000 yard receiving seasons.
It's unprecedented what these two accomplished together while they played with each other.
There are many great quarterback wide-receiver duos in history. While they may not statistically be the best tandem, Antonio Brown and Ben Roethlisberger are certainly near the top of that list.