Ben Roethlisberger is not going to be around for long in the NFL based on his recent play, but any talks about a looming retirement will have to be up on hold. That's after the future Hall of Famer Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback responded to a question about whether the 2021 NFL season would be his last, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN.

“I'm living right here, right now,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday, asked if he thinks about how his own career will end. “We've got to make a run. We've got to play good football. We've got to play great football. That starts right here with me. I can't get caught looking at the end because I need to focus on right here, this week.”

The Steelers indeed need all the focus of their players, as their margin of error is thin, going into the 15th week of the season. Pittsburgh has only won once over its last five games to bring the team's record from 5-3 all the way down to 6-6-1 — the worst in the AFC North. The Steelers are coming off a 36-28 road loss to the Minnesota Vikings in Week 14 that shattered the momentum that they started to build in a 20-19 victory at home over the Baltimore Ravens a week prior.

Up ahead for Ben Roethlisberger and the Steelers is a crucial date with the Tennessee Titans on Sunday at Heinz Field. It may very well determine whether Pittsburgh will still be morally there to fight for a playoff spot.