While Sunday will mark the Steelers’ third Super Bowl appearance in the past six seasons, this game against Green Bay could be the most vital of the three — especially for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

His legacy might be riding on it.

There’s been a lot of talk lately about Roethlisberger and whether or not he is worthy of the Hall of Fame.

Despite two championships, the jury is still out, although most agree he still has several seasons ahead of him.

If the Steelers win Sunday, it would make Roethlisberger the fourth quarterback to win at least three Super Bowls: the Steelers’ Terry Bradshaw and San Francisco’s Joe Montana have won four, while Dallas’ Troy Aikman and New England’s Tom Brady have won three each.

The idea that those four quarterbacks reached the Super Bowl at least three times with victories says a lot about their ability to seal the deal.

Quarterbacks such as East Brady’s Jim Kelly, who took Buffalo to four consecutive Super Bowls — all losses — and St. Louis and Arizona quarterback Kurt Warner, who was 1-2 in his three appearances, have been successful in getting there.

But what does it say about winning it?

It indicates those first four are a special breed of quarterback, and a win by Roethlisberger will put him in the conversation about the greatest of all time.

Roethlisberger did take a major hit with his offseason incidents, which led to a four-game suspension, but he appears to have been a model citizen and a model teammate since then.

This Sunday, he will get a chance to join some choice company. He can no longer be pushed aside while the football world talks about Brady and Peyton Manning.

That Roethlisberger doesn’t pass for 4,500 yards and 40-plus touchdowns each year is why he doesn’t get mentioned in Player of the Year discussions.

You never hear his name at all.

But Roethlisberger stands tall in the postseason. He may have a pedestrian 62.1 completion percentage, 17 touchdowns, 14 interceptions, 216.5 passing yards per game and an 85.4 passer rating, but what stands out the most is his 10-2 playoff record.

Trailing only Green Bay Packers great Bart Starr (9-1) in postseason winning percentage, Roethlisberger has shown he shines on the biggest of stages.

Football history is littered with mediocre quarterbacks who have won one Super Bowl (Baltimore’s Trent Dilfer and Washington’s Mark Rypien come to mind), but to repeat or make it a third or forth time speaks volumes about the talent at quarterback.

Roethlisberger still has years of productivity ahead of him, but if he pulls off another win Sunday, he will join some elite company.

Some Hall of Fame company.

Sam Tallarico is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.