Though comfortable in retirement, former Pittsburgh Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger felt the urge to come down from the stands, strap on a helmet and shoulder pads, and try to lead the Steelers to victory one more time. A guest at Sunday’s Indianapolis Colts game against the Steelers, Roethlisberger evidently had the brief itch to play again as Justin Fields took the field with the Steelers down three points in the final minutes of the game. After watching the game in Pat McAfee’s suite, McAfee’s Monday show relayed what was going through Roethlisberger’s head.
“Ben was in the suite,” McAfee co-host Tone Digs said to start today’s show. “It was the first time all game where he looked at us and he was like, ‘This is what I miss most. Being down and having the ball with two minutes left and make a game-winning drive to win the football game. This is the only time I really miss football.'”
Roethlisberger made a name out of putting together game-winning drives, none bigger than his Super Bowl comeback to beat the Arizona Cardinals. Backed up at his own 12 needing a touchdown with just over two minutes to play, Roethlisberger marched the Steelers downfield before hitting WR Santonio Holmes in the back corner of the end zone for the game-winning score.
Roethlisberger is tied for third in NFL history with 53 game-winning drives while his 41 comebacks give him sole possession of third place. Only Tom Brady and Peyton Manning have more.
Of course, Pittsburgh’s attempted comeback Sunday fell short. A botched snap that QB Justin Fields took the blame for ruined a promising drive, ending in a fourth-down incompletion and 27-24 Colts win.
Ben Roethlisberger attending a game where Joe Flacco came off the bench to beat the Steelers was a surreal moment. Flacco is in his age-39 season, matching how old Roethlisberger was in his final year. The pair met before the game, just an hour before Flacco would replace an injured Anthony Richardson and throw for two scores against the Steelers, likely the final two he’ll ever throw against Pittsburgh for his career.
If Ben Roethlisberger looks a little different since his playing days, your eyes don’t deceive you. Retired since the 2021 season ended, McAfee dropped a piece of information about Roethlisberger’s post-career weight.
“He’s in great shape,” McAfee said. “He’s down 20 pounds, he said, from his playing days.”
Ben Roethlisberger was one of the biggest quarterbacks of his era, making him one of the hardest to bring down. Like many others post-playing days, he’s dropped weight to feel and move better. His knees took a beating throughout his years, the real reason for his physical decline, and they probably thank him for shedding the extra pounds. Now, Big Ben is “Slim Ben.”
While his playing days are obviously over and there hasn’t been NFL-interest since 2022 when the San Francisco 49ers came calling, which Roethlisberger promptly turned down, it’s cool to hear him still imagining leading the Steelers to a clutch victory one final time. Instead, the closest to the football field he’ll get is his Georgia Bulldogs doppelganger.
