Ben Roethlisberger has publicly left the door open for retirement heading into the offseason, but Pittsburgh Steelers president Art Rooney II remains confident that his team does not need to start looking for a new quarterback.
On Tuesday, Rooney told reporters he believes Roethlisberger will be back because he wants to win a third Super Bowl.
Steelers prez Art Rooney II confident Big Ben will return, citing desire to win SB. "I think that's one of the reasons he'll be back."
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 31, 2017
Roethlisberger is coming off another very productive season, though it ended on a sour note with a blowout loss to the New England Patriots. The veteran will turn 35 this offseason, and he has battled a number of injuries over the past several years. He said last week that he is going to take time to think about his future and make sure continuing his football career is in the best interest of his family.
While it seems very likely that Big Ben will return for at least another season, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin says this is not the first time the quarterback has thought about hanging it up. At the very least, we probably won’t see Roethlisberger play another five-plus seasons like AFC rival Tom Brady.
