Ben Roethlisberger has been struggling in 2021 as the Pittsburgh Steelers hope to make one final run with him under center.
Rumors have been around for some time that this could be his final NFL season.
ESPN’s Adam Schefter dropped a report that claims Roethlisberger is letting his teammates know his time in Pittsburgh is soon coming to an end.
Ben Roethlisberger privately has told former teammates and some within the organization that he expects this to be his final season playing quarterback for the Steelers, league sources told ESPN.
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— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) December 4, 2021
Schefter reports that Roethlisberger is telling people this is likely his last season with the Steelers.
So could he play somewhere else in 2022?
Career Coming To An End
Roethlisberger has been the Steelers’ starter since 2004 and will turn 40 years old in March.
He has won two Super Bowls with the Steelers and has also made six Pro Bowls.
So there is not much else for him to prove by going to another team in 2022.
.@Realrclark25 had strong words for his former teammate, Ben Roethlisberger.
"I owe my Super Bowl ring to Ben Roethlisberger. With all that being said, time is up. It's time to move on. … Big Ben is hurting this team now. … It's time for Big Ben to take a seat." pic.twitter.com/k5cCyD6l8A
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 3, 2021
At the same time, another team is not going to pay him over $20 million for one season if he appears to be declining in such a big way.
This is not similar to the Los Angeles Chargers moving on from Philip Rivers.
Roethlisberger is having trouble moving around in the pocket and only has 14 touchdowns so far this season.
He is not the same player he once was, which makes sense, and it may be time to call it a career and retire as a Steeler.
If this is his final season, it could still end with a playoff berth.
The team enters Week 13 as the No. 11 seed in the AFC at 5-5-1.
The No. 7 seed is currently held by the Chargers at 6-5, so there is plenty of time to rise back up the standings in the logjam that is the AFC playoff race.
Roethlisberger is attempting one final magical run with the Steelers.
The only way he would realistically show up again in 2022 is if a team paid him a massive fortune so big it would be foolish for him to turn it down.
NEXT: Should Mike Tomlin Be On The Hot Seat?
