Ben

Roethlisberger

The No. 11 overall pick of the legendary 2004 draft out of small-school Miami of Ohio, Roethlisberger wasn’t a “can’t miss” prospect, but the Steelers won 14 straight games his rookie year to finish 15-1 and reach the AFC Championship Game. They lost to the Patriots but finished the job the following year, defeating the Seahawks in Super Bowl XL. They would go on to reach two more championship games with Roethlisberger under center, hoisting one more Lombardi. Roethlisberger never won MVP or received first-team All-Pro honors — that will happen when your career overlaps with Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Aaron Rodgers — but he retires as a sure-fire Hall-of-Famer who is currently fifth all time in career passing at 64,088. That is the highest total for any player whose entire career came with one team. Ben also had a top-five single-game effort with 522 yards in 2014, and top-10 single season effort in 2018. Although Roethlisberger was never the same after a major 2019 elbow injury, he still finished his career with a playoff start at age 39. The Steelers’ post-Roethlisberger plans are unclear, though it is impossible to believe they will involve Mason Rudolph as anything other than a strict bridge option.

The paper believes it’s a matter of when, not if, Haley has a “confrontation” with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. Big Ben was perceived by the Steelers’ front office as having too much influence over Arians before his contract was not renewed last month. Among others, Haley has clashed with Matt Cassel, Dwayne Bowe and Anquan Boldin in recent seasons.

It’s a safe assumption after Roethlisberger, 40 in March, appeared to have nothing in the proverbial tank by season’s end. Mason Rudolph, signed through the 2022 season, would be next in line to start for Pittsburgh unless they make a move in free agency or the NFL Draft. ESPN’s Brooke Pryor reports Tomlin “hasn’t expressed that he wants an everyday starter QB” to replace Roethlisberger next season. Tomlin implied that offensive coordinator Matt Canada had to “hold back” some of the offense thanks to personnel shortcomings, Pryor said. Tomlin could be referring to Roethlisberger’s total inability to push the ball downfield. He said during his Tuesday presser that “quarterback mobility is valued” -- a potential tipoff as to who the team might pursue in the coming months. The team’s quarterback situation will be the subject of much reporting this offseason.

Although Roethlisberger did not make any definitive statements about retiring, he’ll presumably hang up his cleats fifth on the NFL’s all-time passing yardage list (63,721) and fourth in NFL postseason history (5,776). He also ranks eighth all-time in passing touchdowns (416) and third in fourth-quarter comebacks (40), joining Peyton Manning and Tom Brady as the only quarterbacks in league history to have thrown for 50,000 yards with at least two Super Bowl wins. Roethlisberger’s twilight years were not easy on the eyes but he’ll be remembered for his 50 franchise records under center well before anyone recalls his career in the 21st century. Even though Roethlisberger never picked up a First Team All-Pro honor or any major awards throughout his 18-year career, he will undoubtedly have a bust in Canton in five years’ time.

Roethlisberger gutted his way to a win, possibly extending his Steelers career by at least one more game. Checking down time and again to Najee Harris, Diontae Johnson, and his tight ends, Roethlisberger did just enough to beat the shorthanded Ravens in an ugly game. He connected on two critical overtime passes to keep Pittsburgh moving downfield. The Ravens, meanwhile, dropped at least two would-be picks in the second half. Roethlisberger, who has been held to less than five yards per pass attempt in three straight contests, heads into the postseason hoping for a miraculous run with a Steelers team that just won’t go away.

A week after averaging an abysmal 4.54 yards per attempt against the Chiefs in a blowout loss, Big Ben somehow was even far less efficient in this one, averaging a mind-numbing 2.7 YPA on 46 throws. That’s almost impossible to do while completing 24 passes. His longest pass went for 13 yards to Najee Harris out of the backfield, while Big Ben’s lone touchdown was a five-yard hookup with Diontae Johnson. Johnson’s 15 targets led to an 8-31-1 line. In what was quite possibly Roethlisberger’s final home start in from of the Steelers faithful, it wasn’t one to remember from a box-score perspective, but Pittsburgh still got the win over a hated division rival. The 8-7-1 Steelers are still somehow alive in the playoff race headed into the final week, a Week 18 road date with the 8-8 Ravens.

It’s quite the take from Kaboly a week after Roethlisberger all but declared his Pittsburgh career over. Kaboly said “the lack of free-agent quarterbacks, draftable quarterbacks, and roster-ready quarterbacks” could force the Steelers to hang on to Roethlisberger for one more season while the the team “grooms an offensive line and helps sort out the wide receivers and running game while preparing for life without him.” Clearly done and not having much fun on the field, Roethlisberger -- a free agent at season’s end -- will likely play his final home game Monday night against the Browns as the Steelers fight for a postseason spot. That Kaboly would suggest another season with Roethlisberger under center for would good for the Steelers is an indictment on Mason Rudolph’s readiness to take over as the team’s starter.

Roethlisberger is usually one to tease his retirement in hopes of a coronation at the end of every year but all signs point towards Monday night truly being the end of the 39-year-old’s career at Heinz Field. Expect a standing applause from the crowd in Pittsburgh no matter the final score. Roethlisberger’s last game will take place in Baltimore in Week 18.

The Steelers were outplayed from start to finish in this one. Pittsburgh’s offense appeared stunned by the Chiefs’ defensive aggressiveness, which overwhelmed the slow-footed Roethlisberger throughout. He wasn’t helped by his receivers, who dropped a few critical balls before the game got out of hand. The Week 16 loss marks back-to-back duds for the 39-year-old Roethlisberger, who might have just two games left in his run as a Steeler. Maybe he can pull it together for one more respectable showing in Week 17 against the Browns. We wouldn’t count on it though.

Big Ben added a one-yard rushing touchdown as the only touchdown of the game for the Steelers. It was his first rushing score since 2018. The thing Big Ben did best in this one was not turning the ball over, as Tennessee’s four turnovers ultimately sank them in this one. Roethlisberger will have a chance to throw it 40-plus times again next week in a road date with the Chiefs where Pittsburgh will be big underdogs.