Very few people believed that there was a chance Ben Roethlisberger would call it a career this offseason, but all signs indicate he gave retirement some serious thought.
Willie Colon, a former Pittsburgh Steelers offensive lineman who was teammates with Roethlisberger for seven seasons, told PFT Live on Tuesday that Roethlisberger was actually thinking about walking away from football.
“I got to sit down and talk to him and one thing he told me is he did take it seriously,” Colon said. “He’s dealt with a lot of injuries.”
Roethlisberger has been banged up quite a bit during his 13-year NFL career, and he turned 35 in March. If he was seriously contemplating calling it quits this offseason, will he be even closer to collecting a pension at this time next year? Colon believes that depends on how well Big Ben is protected in 2017.
“He’s passionate about playing, but one thing that keeps his fire going is that offensive line,” he added. “You have to worry about the health of Ben Roethlisberger. Can you keep him upright, can he stay healthy for the duration? They have the offensive line, they have the pieces around him to make it work.”
The Steelers selected a quarterback — former Tennessee star Joshua Dobbs — in the fourth round of the NFL Draft. Roethlisberger should feel very motivated heading into the season after he was called out by a rookie, but no one should expect him to play as long as Tom Brady. If he’s already thinking about retiring, Big Ben probably has another two seasons in him at the most.
