Will Big Ben’s injury make him consider retirement?
By Allison Cary
Will Ben Roethlisberger’s season-ending injury make the 37-year-old quarterback consider hanging up his cleats?
On Sunday, Ben Roethlisberger suffered a season-ending elbow injury in the Pittsburgh Steelers’ match against the Seattle Seahawks. After throwing a deep pass during the final drive of the first half, Roethlisberger grabbed his elbow and went to the locker room. He remained on the sidelines for the second half.
It was announced today that Roethlisberger will need surgery to repair his elbow and will not be returning for the 2019-20 season. The announcement comes after the Steelers lost their first two games of the season, their worst start since 2013.
This isn’t the first time that Roethlisberger has missed playing time due to injury. Most recently, he missed four games with a sprained MCL in 2015 and three games in 2012 with a shoulder injury. Roethlisberger has taken a beating in recent years, but has a reputation for shaking it off and continuing to play.
This will be the longest stretch of games Roethlisberger has ever missed. Which begs the question– will this cause the 37-year-old quarterback to think about retirement?
Roethlisberger has accomplished a lot in his career. Drafted the Steelers in 2004, he has two Super Bowl rings and three Super Bowl appearances. He has the most passing yards and the most passing touchdowns of any QB in Steelers history. He’s already proven that he’s one of the greats.
Still, Roethlisberger is currently under contract through the 2021 season and who would succeed him should he retire is still unclear. The Steelers traded their top backup, Josh Dobbs, to the Jaguars last week after Nick Foles suffered a broken collarbone.
On Sunday, that meant that second-year quarterback Mason Rudolph came into the game. Rudolph did fine in the remainder of the game, completing 12-of-19 passes for 112 yards and two touchdowns. He will likely be their starter for the rest of the season, but does he have what it takes to step into Roethlisberger’s shoes?
Will Roethlisberger choose to come back? Or will he be satisfied with his legendary career and choose to move on? It’s too early to say, but this injury will definitely have people asking those questions.