All-Time Steelers QBs Ranked: Bradshaw #1, Roethlisberger #2

Chuck Ortmann

#49 · Pittsburgh Steelers
Retired 1 Year In The NFL
🏆 National champion (1948)
Chuck's
HAIR
6.2
HeyTC AI Rating

Questions about Chuck Ortmann or the Steelers?

Chuck Ortmann Legacy

HEYTC AI
Chuck Ortmann was a Michigan man through and through—a national champion and two-time All-American who arrived in Pittsburgh with pedigree but left with humility. His pro career was brief and unspectacular: two seasons split between the Steelers and Dallas Texans, throwing more interceptions than touchdowns in an era when that was almost forgivable. But Ortmann's real legacy lives in Ann Arbor, where he was a Rose Bowl hero, immortalized in the Hall of Fame for a fourth-quarter performance that defined what it meant to lead when it mattered. He was the kind of quarterback who understood that college football's grandeur meant more than a stat line. Ortmann passed away in 2018 at 88, leaving behind the memory of a player who knew the difference between winning and mattering.
Chuck Ortmann passed away on March 7, 2018 at the age of 88.

Chuck Ortmann Rating Breakdown

Season
Non-Factor
Fantasy
Non-Factor
Playoffs
Non-Factor
Overall
Cooked
1 year with the Steelers

Chuck Ortmann Career Stats via Wikipedia

744 Pass Yards
3 Touchdowns
14 INTs
0.0% Comp %
6.2 HAIR

Frequently Asked Questions About Chuck Ortmann

How does Aaron Rodgers compare to Chuck Ortmann?

Aaron Rodgers, the current Steelers starter, towers over Chuck Ortmann like a skyscraper next to a phone booth—Rodgers has four NFL MVPs and a Super Bowl ring, while Ortmann's Steelers stint netted 744 passing yards, 3 TDs, and a measly 6.16 rating in '51. Legacy? Ortmann's a footnote; Rodgers is rewriting Steelers QB history.

Is Chuck Ortmann in the Pro Football Hall of Fame?

Nope, Chuck Ortmann never made it to Canton—his brief NFL stop with the Steelers and Texans (744 yards, 3 TDs) didn't turn heads enough for the Hall. Guy was a Michigan triple-threat star, rushing, passing, and punting like a one-man band, but pro immortality? Not in the cards.

How would Chuck Ortmann perform in today's NFL?

Ortmann's single-wing tricks from Michigan—2,199 passing yards plus 676 rushing—might snag a gadget role in today's pass-happy NFL, where rules protect QBs like fortresses. But his 43% completion and 6.16 rating scream backup at best; modern defenses would eat that arm lunch.

How does Chuck Ortmann compare to Terry Bradshaw?

Terry Bradshaw lapped Chuck Ortmann like a Ferrari passing a Model T—Bradshaw's 81.63 rating, four Super Bowls, and 27,989 Steelers yards dwarf Ortmann's 744 yards and 6.16 disaster rating in '51. Both Black-and-Gold QBs, sure, but Bradshaw's the ring king; Ortmann's the warm-up act.