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The Pittsburgh Steelers may have missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013, but that does not mean quarterback Ben Roethlisberger thinks the team's championship window has closed.
“I’ll be back and feel good,” Roethlisberger told after the Steelers' season-ending win over the Cincinnati Bengals, via Chase Williams of WPXI. “We’ve got guys that just got better. We’ve got young guys who just kept getting better — guys like JuJu [Smith-Schuster], and I think James Conner. Guys that are just going to keep getting better. So I don’t think our window’s closed.”
With that statement, Roethlisberger put an end to any speculation that he could retire at year's end, and he does have a point.
The Steelers do have some young talent on the roster, although their defense, which ranked 21st in the NFL this season, could use some work.
One thing going against Pittsburgh is that its two most important players, Roethlisberger and wide receiver Antonio Brown, are aging, so a decline could be in store for both of them.
Roethlisberger, now 36 years old, threw for a league-leading 5,129 yards, 34 touchdowns, and a league-worst 16 interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 96.5.
This marked the second time Roethlisberger paced the league in passing yards and also marked the second instance in which he led the league in interceptions.
The Steelers went a respectable 9-6-1 this season, but due to the Baltimore Ravens finishing 10-6, Pittsburgh missed out on winning another AFC North title. The Steelers were in first place heading into last week, but a loss to the New Orleans Saints dropped them out of the playoff picture.
