As the 2021 season nears the end, many have speculated if it will be Ben Roethlisberger’s last season. Rumors officially began circulating when Adam Schefter tweeted this out nearly two weeks ago.
Since then, Roethlisberger has downplayed any official announcement of 2021 being his last season as a Steeler or period. Fellow captain Cameron Heyward was asked about Roethlisberger on the NFL Network Wednesday.
“I don’t know [if this is his last season], that’s for him to decide. If it his last year, I got to make sure I send him out right. We have a lot of great vets, but Ben is deserving of a great year. He’s provided a lot of great wins, a lot of timely throws, and a lot of leadership that we’ve needed.”
Roethlisberger currently sits in his 18th NFL season, all with the Steelers of course. Who knows whether it’s his last season altogether or if he would potentially explore another season, whether it be in Pittsburgh or somewhere else.
Heyward made one thing clear: wanting to send Roethlisberger out on the right note IF it is his last season. We all remember how last season ended, which is how Maurkice Pouncey’s career came to an end. A Super Bowl is obviously quite unrealistic at this point, but a simple playoff experience would be a nice sending off.
“We’ve got to send him out right if this is his last year. But we don’t know if it is, it’s not our call, it’s his. I’m going to control everything I can and give him a good season this year.”
As we know, the Steelers 6-6-1 record sits them outside of the playoff picture currently. They have a tough remaining schedule, so they have their work cut out for them to make a playoff push.
In the meantime, let’s appreciate Roethlisberger in these last four games, as it may be the last we see of him on the field.
