Ben Roethlisberger sends final message to Pittsburgh, Steelers fans
The Kansas City Chiefs ran away with a 42-21 victory over the Pittsburgh Steelers in the AFC wildcard round on Sunday night. With the loss for the Steelers, longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger‘s time in Pittsburgh has come to an end. Roethlisberger is expected to retire following the season.
Once Roethlisberger does officially retire, it will bring a longstanding streak to an end in Pittsburgh. He entered the league in 2004 after being selected 11th overall in the NFL Draft out of Miami (OH). As his career came to an end, Roethlisberger shared a heartfelt message with Steelers fans and the city of Pittsburgh.
“It’s tough but I’m proud to play with these guys,” Roethlisberger said. “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.”
In the loss to the Chiefs, Roethlisberger completed 29 of his 44 pass attempts for 215 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions. But during the loss, Roethlisberger passed Brett Favre’s mark of 5,855 playoff passing yards on the all-time list. He now sits just behind Peyton Manning and Tom Brady.
Pittsburgh will look different at quarterback without Roethlisberger
Without Roethlisberger, things are going to look a little bit different next season in Pittsburgh. The Steelers have not known another starting quarterback since the early 2000s.
In his NFL career, Roethlisberger threw for 64,088 yards with 418 touchdowns and 211 interceptions. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and a six-time Pro Bowler.
Replacing Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh will be no easy task. The future at the position is incredibly uncertain at this point. Pittsburgh has Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins on the current roster, and they could be in line for a competition for the job next season. Additionally, Pittsburgh could look to the NFL Draft as a way to replace Roethlisberger.
“The Steelers have QB Mason Rudolph under contract for another year thanks to an extension that gave him nearly $5 million in new money. Dwayne Haskins, the former first-rounder who signed for the minimum in Pittsburgh before the season, will be a restricted free agent,” stated NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport. “Both QBs are expected to be able to compete for a starting job in 2022. With Rudolph spending his entire career biding his time and waiting, and Haskins emerging as someone who has caught the eye of coach Mike Tomlin.
“The team is also likely to add a quarterback in the draft. Though it’s not a talent-rich year at the position, there will be options. Kenny Pickett, who opted out of the Peach Bowl to prepare for the draft, is one to watch.”