Ben Roethlisberger has officially announced his retirement from the NFL. He made the announcement in a video posted via his Twitter account Thursday.
“The time has come for me to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats, and continue to be all I can be to my wife and children. I retire from football a truly grateful man,” he says in the video.
The 11th pick of the 2004 draft, Roethlisberger spent all 18 years with the Steelers. He won two Super Bowls and went to a third and is almost certain to become a first-ballot, Hall of Fame quarterback. He finishes his career with 64,088 passing yards (fifth all-time) and 418 touchdowns (eighth all-time). He holds a career regular-season record of 165-81-1.
He was drafted to sit on the bench his rookie season. But after injuries to Charlie Batch and Tommy Maddox, he was thrust into action in 2004. That Steelers’ team went on a remarkable run, going 15-1 with Roethlisberger not losing a game until the AFC Championship. The next year, they won Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger earned his second ring in 2008 knocking off the Arizona Cardinals, throwing an iconic, game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes.
Roethlisberger’s retirement has been expected since the end of the regular season. Now the Steelers will officially need to find his replacement.
In a video shot at his house surrounded by his wife and kids, Roethlisberger thanked his family and the Steelers.
“To the Rooney family and the Tull family, Coach Tomlin, Coach Cowher, all the coaches who have been important to me….thank you for believing in me and allowing me to battle with you in the pursuit of excellence.”
There reportedly aren’t any immediate plans for a retirement press conference. As of now, it appears this video is Roethlisberger’s avenue for announcing he’s moving on with life’s work.
Ben Roethlisberger Retirement Pamphlet
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