Ben Roethlisberger Admits He’s Close to Retirement

Ben Roethlisberger is like anybody else who is normal. He fears the unknown. Right now the status of CTE brain trauma is an unknown.

All people know about it is it can have harmful long-term effects on players after their football days end. It’s a big reason why Ravens guard John Urschel chose to retire at age 26. Now it’s becoming a reason why the Pittsburgh Steelers’ star quarterback may be nearing his own exit as well. It’s well-documented he considered the idea this past offseason but chose to return for another year. No doubt he hopes to get one last crack at the Super Bowl.

Still, the 35-year old made it clear that 2017 could well be his last. He’s taken a lot of hits over the years and no longer has only himself to worry about. A wife and growing children are becoming factors as well. He told this much to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette recently.

"“I’ve been blessed to do this a long time. I think it’s just seeing my kids growing up, and in the offseason I love getting to spend time with them, and then I come here and football season just has to take up so much of your time. Even when you get home, I try my best to turn it off when I walk in the front door. I think I do a pretty good job of that, but it still consumes you in a way.“Just all those things combined — being healthy, being able to play catch with my kids. I feel good mentally, I know this new study that came out that 90 percent [of NFL] players’ brains who were studied had CTE.“There’s a lot of scary things, and I think my wife would be OK if I hung it up, too. But I still love the guys, I still love the game, so it was right for me to come back and give it everything I have this year.”"

Roethlisberger is last of the old guard

In many ways this does feel like a last hurrah. Roethlisberger is the final holdout of those great teams of the 2000s that won two Super Bowls. Most believe that if and when he does go, the Steelers’ championship hopes will go with him. They don’t have anybody on the depth chart who can be considered a legitimate heir to the throne at this point.

Maybe Joshua Dobbs can develop into something but at this stage it’s not wise to hold ones’ breath. Everything about this franchise now rests on the right arm of Big Ben. It would be quite fitting if he claimed his final ring in the wake of a devastating AFC championship loss to the Patriots. Consider that’s how it began and all.