Ben Roethlisberger officially announces retirement with video

Ben Roethlisberger has been indicating for weeks that he will not play in 2022, and the quarterback has now made it official.

Roethlisberger shared a video on Thursday announcing his retirement. He thanked his family, coaches, fans and everyone with the Steelers organization for “believing in me and allowing me to battle with you in the pursuit of excellence.”

Roethlisberger had been hinting for quite some time that the 2021 season would be his last. He got to play in one last playoff game after a wild end to the regular season, though the Steelers lost to the Kansas City Chiefs.

The next stop for Big Ben will almost certainly be the Hall of Fame. His 64,088 passing yards and 418 touchdowns are both the most for any quarterback in Steelers history. The yardage ranks fifth among NFL quarterbacks all time and the touchdowns place him eighth.

What’s more impressive is that Roethlisberger was never part of a losing team in 18 seasons with the Steelers. He won two Super Bowls with the team and was named to the Pro Bowl six times. Pittsburgh will have a difficult time replacing him, though head coach Mike Tomlin seems to have a plan.

Photo: Dec 19, 2021; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) warms up before the game against the Tennessee Titans at Heinz Field. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports