Steelers six-time Pro Bowl QB Ben Roethlisberger announces retirement

Throughout the 2021 season, it was thought that this could be the final year for the 39-year-old Roethlisberger. Following the Steelers AFC wild-card game loss to the Kansas City Chiefs on Jan. 30, it appeared to be a foregone conclusion that Big Ben had played in his last game.

Roethlisberger was selected 11th overall in the 2004 NFL Draft and spent his entire 18-season career with Pittsburgh. He was named the Associated Press Offensive Rookie of the Year after posting a 66.4% completion percentage for 2,621 passing yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in 14 games, while earning a spotless 13-0 record in his 13 starts as a first-year player.

Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory in 2005 by pacing the NFL in yards per pass attempt (8.9) and yards per completions (14.2) while throwing for 17 more touchdowns. No. 7 led the league with a career-high 23 interceptions in 2006, but Big Ben bounced back in a significant way in 2007 by making his first of six Pro Bowl teams.

The signal-caller had an up-and-down regular season in 2008, but under then-second-year head coach Mike Tomlin and a top-ranked defense, Pittsburgh went 12-4 in the regular season and eventually won an all-time classic in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, 27-23. Roethlisberger threw the game-winning six-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Santonio Holmes with just 35 seconds left in regulation.

The Lima, Ohio, native led the NFL in passing yards in 2014 (4,952) and 2018 (5,129) and led the league in both completions (452) and pass attempts (675) in 2018 as well. Roethlisberger ends his career ranked fifth all-time in completions (5,440), pass attempts (8,443) and passing yards (64,088), and eighth in career touchdown passes (418).