Ben Roethlisberger isn't ready to talk retirement from Pittsburgh Steelers
As he enters his age-39 season, Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger isn’t quite ready to talk about his potential retirement. The longtime Steelers quarterback said that, at this point of his career, he’s taking things one year at a time, according to Mark Maske of The Washington Post.
Roethlisberger contemplated retiring in offseason
After being selected 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft, Roethlisberger has spent his entire 17-year career with Pittsburgh. The Steelers have won two Super Bowls under Roethlisberger. After playing in just two games in 2019, Roethlisberger played in 15 games last season. He threw for 3,803 yards, his lowest total in a full season since 2012.
Despite his elevated age, Roethlisberger isn’t focused on two years down the road at this point. He is focused on the present.
“I think when you get to this point in your career, you have to take it one at a time,” Roethlisberger said. “You’ve got to give this season everything that you have. I know I’ve said it before. Nothing is promised to us. So I’m just going to give everything I have to this season and do what we can from there.”
When contemplating a potential retirement, Roethlisberger said that there “were moments” that he seriously thought about hanging up his cleats. Former Steelers offensive lineman Maurkice Pouncey retired in the offseason, which added to speculation about Roethlisberger.
“I couldn’t say 100 percent there wasn’t ever a moment,” Roethlisberger said. “When I talked to Maurkice Pouncey and we talked about things together, I’d say that there maybe were moments. But I felt pretty certain after praying a lot about it and talking with my wife and my agent and the people closest to me. I felt pretty confident that I still had something in the tank and still wanted to go out and be a part of this team that I feel is pretty special.”
Injuries impacted Roethlisberger in 2020
In 2019, Roethlisberger played in just two games and did not throw a touchdown, with his season cut short due to elbow surgery. Even though he was able to play 15 games with his arm feeling good in 2020, Roethlisberger says that his arm was not as strong as it is right now.
“I think last year I said this a few times: my arm felt great,” Roethlisberger said. “It felt really good coming off that surgery. But feeling it now and comparing it to last year, maybe it wasn’t as good then as it feels now. I was only a year removed from a pretty major surgery on a part of the body that I make my living off of.”
As he heads into his 18th season in the NFL, Roethlisberger is looking to stay healthy and keep the Steelers as one of the top teams in the AFC. The Steelers are hoping that the additions to the offensive line will help Roethlisberger stay upright. Pittsburgh also drafted Alabama running back Najee Harris in the first round of the NFL Draft. The running game should be the best it has been in years, which will help open up the passing offense.
Image courtesy of: Joe Sargent via Getty Images.