Ben Roethlisberger gives 1st ‘public indication’ of possible retirement

It sounds like the Ben Roethlisberger era could be coming to an end very soon.

The veteran quarterback said on Thursday that the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Week 17 contest at home will likely be his last game at Heinz Field.

Roethlisberger has had a decorated career that has included six Pro Bowl selections and two Super Bowl titles. He was drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft, and he has spent his entire pro career with Pittsburgh since then.

This season, the 39-year-old has appeared in 14 games. He has completed 65.2 percent of his passes for 3,373 yards. He has thrown 20 touchdowns and eight interceptions.

Roethlisberger would surely love nothing more than to get the Steelers to the playoffs one more time. The team’s postseason hopes are slim at this stage of the 2021 campaign, but there is still a chance for the squad to sneak in.

In order for a trip to the playoffs to happen, the Steelers are likely going to need to win each of their final two games and hope for some help around the league.

Currently, Pittsburgh is 7-7-1 on the season. The team has games remaining against the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens.

Neither of those matchups can be described as easy, but with a strong performance in each game, the Steelers could realistically win out. A 2-0 finish would obviously make things very interesting for Pittsburgh.

The organization is trying to reach the playoffs for the second straight season. If the Steelers miss the playoffs, they’ll have failed to make the postseason in three out of four seasons.