Ben Roethlisberger hints at being open to retirement before next season
Self-reflection after a bad season-ending loss is hardly new, but Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger left his future open-ended.
A not-as-close as the score suggests 36-17 loss to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game has surely left the Pittsburgh Steelers in reflection mode. As they part company until offseason work starts, next season will slowly become the focus.
Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger threw for 314 yards against the Patriots, completing 31 for 47 passes with one touchdown and one interception along the way. The early-game loss of running back Le’Veon Bell to a groin injury obviously hurt Pittsburgh’s offense, and the game situation led to plenty of passing and thus an empty stat line for Roethlisberger.
During his weekly Tuesday appearance on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger seemed to leave some doubt about his future.
Ben Roethlisberger on @937theFan won't commit that he will play next season. Implies he's open to retirement.
— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) January 24, 2017
Roethlisberger apparently referred to next season frequently during the interview, but he also left the door open to retirement. He will turn 35 in March, so calling it a career could actually be an option. But it’s a big step from taking time to evaluate things after a disappointing loss all the way to retiring, with presumably some good years left in his career and a talented team around him.
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Roethlisberger has played all 16 regular season games just twice in the last eight seasons, and durability concerns always linger with him. So he may have to alter how he manages his body, on and off the field, as he enters his late 30s. But Roethlisberger will surely at least play out the three years left on his contract, barring a devastating injury in the meantime.