Ben Roethlisberger gets early jump on squashing retirement talk
Ben Roethlisberger created a massive buzz in Pittsburgh about two years ago when he openly pondered retirement and talked about concerns he has about his long-term health, but it would appear the Steelers quarterback does not want that to be a topic of conversation again this offseason.
During his weekly appearance on 93.7 The Fan on Monday, Roethlisberger was asked if he plans to play in 2019. While he stopped short of completely ruling out retirement, he gave a pretty strong indication that he isn’t going anywhere.
Roethlisberger: "I have every intention of playing next year but I don't want to think of next season until this one is over." #CookandJoe Show @937theFan
— Joe Kapp (@937Catfish) December 24, 2018
Roethlisberger will turn 37 this offseason, but he has continued to play at an extremely high level. While the Steelers are on the brink of missing the playoffs this season for the first time since 2013, Roethlisberger only needs 158 passing yards next week to eclipse the 5,000-yard mark for the first time in his career. His 33 touchdown passes are already his most ever, so you could argue that this has been his best statistical year.
The last time Roethlisberger gave off the impression he was thinking about retirement had a lot to do with criticizing himself when he was frustrated, but he probably knows better than to make that mistake again. It would be a surprise if he is not back under center for the Steelers in 2019.
