After more than 94,000 passing yards, 418 passing touchdowns, and a couple of Super Bowl rings; Ben Roethlisberger is finally calling it a career. Now, the Pittsburgh Steelers will embark on a tough journey to replace a Hall of Famer quarterback.
Big Ben and Mike Tomlin’s team lived another day thanks to an epic game between Raiders and Chargers. But, as expected, the Chiefs and Patrick Mahomes were just too much to handle for a team that shouldn’t have made the playoffs in the first place.
Everybody expected Sunday’s clash to be Ben Roethlisberger’s final game in the NFL and, barring a last-second change of heart, it seems like we will never watch the 39-year old in pads again.
Ben Roethlisberger Opens Up After Final Game With Steelers
“It’s tough but I’m proud to play with these guys,” Roethlisberger said after the game. “God has blessed me with an ability to throw a football and has blessed me to play in the greatest city in Pittsburgh with the greatest fans and the greatest football team and players and it has just truly been a blessing and I’m so thankful to Him for the opportunity that he’s given me.”
“I’ve been here a long time and it’s been a lot of fun,” Big Ben added. “Like I said, God has blessed me. We joke a lot about the Browns and going there but it was meant to be that I was going to wear black and gold.
“Draft day, I had a black suit on with a gold tie. I’m just so thankful. I hope that I’m able to pass the legacy of what it is to be a Steeler from Dan Rooney, you know? We all miss him, anyone who knew him misses him and so, it’s just, hopefully I could pass some of that on to the guys and continue the tradition of what it means to be a Steeler.”
Big Ben Says He’s Proud Of His Teammates
Even though the Steelers couldn’t keep up with Kansas City after the first quarter, Roethlisberger still praised his teammates for how hard they fought to try and get him another game:
“I will say that I’m really proud of the way guys fought,”the QBsaid. “We had guys, whether it’s linemen or backs or receivers, tight ends, I mean, guys stepped up and literally fought to the end. Tonight, guys just never quit literally until the last second. Even when it’s out of grasp, guys don’t quit. … I’m just so proud to call these guys brothers and to play for ’em.”
While off-field controversies will always be a stain on his otherwise flawless résumé, Roethlisberger is a lock to be immortalized on Canton, Ohio, as soon as he’s eligible. He’ll join Steelers legends on their ring of honor and will go down as one of the best QBs of all time.