As they say, all good things come to an end. On Sunday, Pittsburgh Steelers icon Ben Roethlisberger played his final game in the NFL. It's never easy to end a career with a defeat, but the legendary quarterback will still be largely celebrated for his victories.

The Kansas City Chiefs ended Roethlisberger's illustrious career with a 42-21 win over the Steelers in their Wild Card matchup. The 39-year-old signal-caller didn't have much impact on the game, throwing for 215 yards, including two touchdowns when the result was already settled. But as for his impact on NFL history, that's an entirely different story.

After the game, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin was grasping for words when asked to talk about Roethlisberger. Quite understandably so, via Brooke Pryor of ESPN:

“He was 7. It's been an honor and a pleasure. I don't have the words.”

For sure, Tomlin isn't alone in struggling to encapsulate Roethlisberger's legacy. The two-time Super Bowl winner and six-time Pro Bowler carried the Steelers for nearly two decades since being selected as the 11th overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Tomlin has been Roethlisberger's coach in 15 of his 18 years in the NFL, clearly cultivating a deep relationship.

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Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Omar Khan next to Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender Alex Highsmith. Khan has a speech bubble that says “Thank you, Alex.”

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Courtland Sutton wearing a Steelers jersey next to a Steelers logo

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Justin Fields in a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform on one side, Mike Tomlin on the other side, a bunch of the big eyes emojis in the background

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Roethlisberger has yet to officially confirm his retirement, but he has already alluded to it several times this season, even saying “this could be it” last week.

All signs are pointing that it's an end of an era for the Steelers, but Roethlisberger will remain a constant.