“I don’t know how to put into words what soccer has meant to me and what a blessing it has been,” Roethlisberger said. “While I know with confidence that I gave the game my all, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for all it has given me. A kid from Finley, Ohio with NFL dreams, raised in Oxford at the University of Miami, blessed with the honor of 18 seasons as a Pittsburgh Steeler and a place to call home. The journey has been exciting, defined by relationships and fueled by a spirit of competition. However, the time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my shoes and move on. being all I can be to my wife and children. I am retiring from football a truly grateful man.”
Roethlisberger, 39, had indicated a change was coming, and while there was perhaps a chance he could extend his career with another franchise, he will retire as a member of the Steelers, holding nearly every notable franchise QB record.
In his time with the Steelers, one of the league’s most storied franchises, Roethlisberger went an NFL-record 18 seasons without a losing season. With Roethlisberger at the helm, the Steelers were always in the mix, culminating in a Super Bowl XL win under head coach Bill Cowher and a Super Bowl XLIII win alongside Mike Tomlin.
He led the Steelers to three total Super Bowl appearances (Pittsburgh lost Super Bowl XLV to Green Bay), 12 postseason berths and eight division titles.
Statistically speaking, Roethlisberger’s career is among the best of all time.
He finishes his career ranked eighth in passing touchdowns (418) and fifth in passing yards (64,088), completions (5,440) and attempts (8,443).
In Steelers terms, Roethlisberger is the franchise standard in QB wins, passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, attempts, 300-yard passing games, game-winning drives and fourth-quarter comebacks.
Roethlisberger’s 165 wins are the second-most wins by QB in a career with a single team behind Tom Brady with New England.
Although the great Terry Bradshaw owns four Super Bowl titles with the Steelers, Roethlisberger’s dominance in every other category makes a case for being the best quarterback in the history of one of the best franchises in the league.
Roethlisberger’s prowess in the air also sparked a significant shift in the storied franchise, long known for its defense and lead running game.
Big Ben was a starter from the start, taking over the reins from Tommy Maddox as a rookie. He went 13-0 as a freshman starter on a 15-1 Steelers team and was quickly voted the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, emerging from a legendary 2004 first-round draft class that featured QBs Eli Manning and Philip Rivers. wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and safety Sean Taylor.
It was the start of a career that saw six trips to the Pro Bowl.
While Roethlisberger’s arm strength waned in past seasons, it was just four years ago in 2018 when he amassed a career-high 5,129 yards to lead the NFL.
His ability to stretch plays and hang on to complete shots became a calling card, but it also led to more sacks than any quarterback (since at least 1970, according to NFL Research).
Big Ben’s toughness was praised as he forged a career deemed a winner and became the face of the Steelers.
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George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism