There’s been an outpouring of support, thank yous, and celebrations of Ben Roethlisberger’s career today after Roethlisberger announced his retirement following 18 years in the league. Teammates, coaches, guys he played against, it’s been great to see but largely unsurprising.
I did want to point out one specific player who gave Roethlisberger a shout. The team’s other Super Bowl winning quarterback, Terry Bradshaw. He sent out this video congtratulations to Roethlisberger a short time ago.
“Ben, this is Terry Bradshaw,” Bradshaw said in the video. “I wanted to say to you congratulations on an outstanding career. Just an amazing career. One of the all-time greats to ever play this game. I was a Steeler for many years and you came onboard and just took it to a whole nother level…I’ve enjoyed watching you play, watching you grow up. Winning Super Bowls, you’re a mountain of a man, the way you played was so inspiring. I loved watching you play.”
Bradshaw and Roethlisberger haven’t always had the best relationship and Bradshaw’s standing with the team has been, at times, icy. In 2017, Bradshaw told Rich Eisen he had no relationship with Roethlisberger, noting an “unproductive” conversation in an interview prior to the Steelers’ Super Bowl against the Green Bay Packers.
Over the last few years, that relationship has seemed to been repaired and mended with Bradshaw speaking highly of Roethlisberger since.
With their relationship mended, Roethlisberger will join Bradshaw in Canton, Ohio five years from now. And the Steelers will have two Hall of Fame quarterbacks.
