Ben Roethlisberger hasn’t officially announced his retirement from the NFL, but it looks like he played in his final home game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. On Monday night, the Steelers earned a 26-14 victory over the Cleveland Browns to keep their playoff hopes alive. And after the game, Roethlisberger hugged his Steelers teammates as well as Browns players before embracing the fans at Heinz Field.
“This is home,” Roethlisberger said per Pro Football Talk. “I was born in Ohio but I live here and I’ll always be here. These fans, and this place, mean so much to me and my family and always will. I’ve always said that they’re the best fans in all of sports, and I’ll stick by that until the day I die. To see all the signs and the jerseys and the towels and to hear them cheer for me coming out of the towel, I don’t know that I’ll ever put it into words.”
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Roethlisberger also thanked his teammates for their support. “This game was very special to me,” Roethlisberger said. “I told them thank you, how much this place and they mean to me … I’m just so blessed to play this game for a long time.” For the Steelers, they will need some help to make the playoffs, but Roethlisberger leaves his home field as a winner and on his own terms if he does decide to retire.
The Steelers selected Roethlisberger in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft. He has been the Steelers starting quarterback since then and has led the team to three Super Bowl appearances with two wins. Roethlisberger has been to the Pro Bowl six times and was the NFL’s passing yards leader twice (2014, 2018). He also holds the league’s records for most career 500-yard passing games (4) and most completions in a regular or post-season game (47).
“Pretty special having them here and understanding it and knowing what’s going on,” Roethlisberger said about having his family in attendance, per the Steelers official website. “They’re lucky they don’t have to go to school tomorrow. This place, Heinz Field, is so special to me. Just like this city is. I’m very thankful and blessed to call this home, so thank you to all the fans and everybody.”
