It’s time for Ben Roethlisberger to just retire already

After another dismal showing Sunday, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger should just call it a career.

This offseason, with no succession plan and previous salary cap gymnastics kicking the can down the road, the Pittsburgh Steelers painted themselves into a corner with Ben Roethlisberger. If he didn’t decide to retire, they were stuck with him and forced to extend his contract to lower his 2021 cap hit.

The Steelers beat the Buffalo Bills in Week 1, but it was not because of Roethlisberger’s play (18-for-32 for 188 yards, one touchdown). Throwing for 295 yards against the Las Vegas Raiders looks good on a surface, but he went 27-for-40 and misfired downfield repeatedly.

Roethlisberger entered the week before Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals with an injury to his left pectoral. Early in the game, he appeared to be favoring his throwing arm after a hard hit.

The Bengals beat the Steelers 24-10. Roethlisberger had another nice yardage day (317), but he need 55 attempts to get there (38 completions) with a touchdown and two interceptions. He was sacked four times and hit seven others by Cincinnati’s defense, and he has now averaged less than 6.0 yards per pass attempt in two of three games this season.

Ben Roethlisberger should just give it up and retire

Though his passive-aggressive approach to the topic diminished in recent years, Roethlisberger hinted at retirement seemingly every offseason for awhile. Then he missed all but two games in 2019, and eventually had major surgery on his right elbow. Over the last season-plus, his arm strength has looked gone when he has thrown downfield. The imposing pocket presence who could shake off rushers and extend plays is gone too, as could be expected at 39 years old.

Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk’s sentiment here, during Sunday’s game, is spot on.

The 1-2 Steelers are blocked punt touchdown against the Bills away from possibly being 0-3. Roethlisberger won’t be retiring after three games, or at any point during the season, but at this point he surely wishes he hadn’t come back.