Ben Roethlisberger Reveals His Plans After Football Amid Retirement Speculation

01/18/2022 11:53 pm EST

Ben Roethlisberger hasn't officially retired from the NFL. But the Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback knows what his next move will be after the team lost the Kansas City Chiefs in the wild-card round of the playoffs on Sunday. When speaking to reporters, Roethlisberger revealed his current plans now that the 2021 season has come to an end. 

"I get to go home tonight, and we've got snow and so the kids are already planning tubing and doing sledding and stuff," Roethlisberger said, per Sports Illustrated. "Being a husband and father, it never takes a day off. You got to keep going. As we move from one chapter to the next, it's going to be different, but it's going be fun. It's going to be a new challenge and I'm looking forward to it."  

Roethlisberger then took some time to reflect on his career. "I've been here a long time, and it's been a lot of fun," he said. "Like I said, God has blessed me. We joke about the Browns and going there (in the NFL Draft), but it was meant to be that I was going to wear black and gold. Draft day I had a black suit on with a gold tie. I'm just so thankful."

Roethlisberger, 39, has one year remaining on his contract, but the Steelers are anticipating that he will call it a career soon. He has been the starting quarterback in Pittsburgh since the 2004 season and has led the team to three Super Bowl appearances with two wins. In his career, Roethlisberger threw for 64,088 yards with 418 touchdowns. He has also recorded a 93.5 quarterback rating. 

"This is home," Roethlisberger said after playing the Steelers' final home game of the year. "I was born in Ohio but I live here and I'll always be here. These fans, and this place, mean so much to me and my family and always will. I've always said that they're the best fans in all of sports, and I'll stick by that until the day I die. To see all the signs and the jerseys and the towels and to hear them cheer for me coming out of the towel, I don't know that I'll ever put it into words."    

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