"former Steelers fan"?!? I didn't know there was such a thing!! "INCONCEIVABLE!!"
I'm going to say "waste" is a bit strong. The Steelers were only .500 three times, and almost always in the hunt year in and year out. It seems like there was always a piece missing, or a bad injury (e.g. Shazier in 2017), or some other factor that prevented them from going deeper in the playoffs (besides just having to go through the Belicheats). The Steelers sure racked up a whole bunch of wins year after year after year, and Ben matches up well with anyone.
Active QB Won-Loss Records
Whether Ben decides to retire or try to come back, I'm good with it.
(Oh and by the way, the "pass interference challenge" is a complete fiasco, and could very well have cost the Steelers a win against Seattle.)