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PITTSBURGH -- After 18 seasons as the starting quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement Thursday morning.
In a video posted to his Twitter account, Roethlisberger announced what became obvious over the final weeks of the 2021 season.
Roethlisberger, 39, finished a likely Hall of Fame career with two Super Bowl wins, Rookie of the Year honors and the fifth-most passing yards (64,088) in NFL history. He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027.
Drafted by the franchise 11th overall in 2004, Roethlisberger took over the starting job for an injured Tommy Maddox against the Ravens in Week 2 of his rookie season. He led the Steelers to a 15-1 regular-season record before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Roethlisberger won his first Super Bowl a year later against the Seattle Seahawks. He won another three years later, defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on his game-winning touchdown throw to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left. He finished his career with a franchise-record 165 regular-season victories, fifth most in NFL history. He also earned a .670 regular-season winning percentage as a starting quarterback, the second highest in franchise history and sixth highest in NFL history.
Roethlisberger's retirement announcement is hardly a surprise. He signed a one-year extension following the 2020 season to lower his salary and cap hit and return for one more shot at a third Super Bowl championship.
Roethlisberger's final season didn't reach the high he'd hoped, but the Steelers managed to sneak into the playoffs despite a 1-3 start and a three-game winless streak in the middle of the season. He threw for 3,740 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his final season.
In the final weeks of the 2021 season, Roethlisberger acknowledged that all signs were pointing toward the Week 17 game against the Browns being his final home game. After beating the Browns, a teary-eyed Roethlisberger lingered on the field and ran around part of the stadium, high-fiving fans before walking up the tunnel arm in arm with his wife and three kids.
In a video posted to his Twitter account, Roethlisberger announced what became obvious over the final weeks of the 2021 season.
Roethlisberger, 39, finished a likely Hall of Fame career with two Super Bowl wins, Rookie of the Year honors and the fifth-most passing yards (64,088) in NFL history. He will be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027.
Drafted by the franchise 11th overall in 2004, Roethlisberger took over the starting job for an injured Tommy Maddox against the Ravens in Week 2 of his rookie season. He led the Steelers to a 15-1 regular-season record before losing to the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
Roethlisberger won his first Super Bowl a year later against the Seattle Seahawks. He won another three years later, defeating the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII on his game-winning touchdown throw to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left. He finished his career with a franchise-record 165 regular-season victories, fifth most in NFL history. He also earned a .670 regular-season winning percentage as a starting quarterback, the second highest in franchise history and sixth highest in NFL history.
Roethlisberger's retirement announcement is hardly a surprise. He signed a one-year extension following the 2020 season to lower his salary and cap hit and return for one more shot at a third Super Bowl championship.
Roethlisberger's final season didn't reach the high he'd hoped, but the Steelers managed to sneak into the playoffs despite a 1-3 start and a three-game winless streak in the middle of the season. He threw for 3,740 yards and 22 touchdowns with 10 interceptions in his final season.
In the final weeks of the 2021 season, Roethlisberger acknowledged that all signs were pointing toward the Week 17 game against the Browns being his final home game. After beating the Browns, a teary-eyed Roethlisberger lingered on the field and ran around part of the stadium, high-fiving fans before walking up the tunnel arm in arm with his wife and three kids.
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