Ben Roethlisberger. Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

Former Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger has 'thought' about joining 49ers

By Aaron Becker | Last updated 12/13/22

Is Ben Roethlisberger coming out of retirement? The 49ers are preparing for a Super Bowl run and are in need of quarterback help.

The veteran QB has hinted that he could still play and knows how talented San Francisco is.

"I thought about it," Roethlisberger said on his "Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger" podcast. "That team is one of the better teams in football and that defense is really stinking good and they did it with Purdy."

The 49ers lost quarterbacks Trey Lance, and most likely, Jimmy Garoppolo for the season. And following the team's Week 14 win over Tampa Bay, it was reported QB Brock Purdy was getting an MRI for an oblique injury.

#49ers QB Brock Purdy is getting an MRI today on his injured oblique, per source.

Purdy got hurt on the game's second drive Sunday, and obviously played well after it. So, not a lot of concern pending further tests. But a quick turnaround for Thursday night in Seattle.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 12, 2022

San Francisco is a Super Bowl contender, winning games with whoever is at quarterback. The team has the No. 1 defense in total yards per game, rush yards per game, and points per game, per ESPN.com.

Would the 49ers actually be interested in bringing Roethlisberger in?

Probably not, unless their injury bug continues. Roethlisberger is 40 years old and hasn't played in almost a year.

He could be a helpful backup to Purdy with his impressive resume, but it's doubtful Roethlisberger would return to the NFL. San Francisco backs its rookie QB, who quickly went from "Mr. Irrelevant" in the 2022 NFL Draft to "Mr. Relevant" for the Niners.

You can make a case for adding Roethlisberger to the roster, but Purdy has shown he can win. And who knows how serious Roethlisberger really is?

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