The Pittsburgh Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger era has come to a close. After a long and successful career, the long-time quarterback of the franchise decided to hang up his cleats after the 2021 season. It was a retirement that some fans argue came a little too late, considering Big Ben's level of play.

Despite the fans' reservations, Ben Roethlisberger still believes he could play today. The former Steelers quarterback said in a recent interview that he believes he could still play. Big Ben also revealed that former general manager Kevin Colbert was the one pushing the QB to retire after the 2020 season. (via Andrew Filipponi)

Well, that's certainly telling. Roethlisberger's decision to come back for the 2021 season was a rather controversial decision amongst fans. On one hand, his 2020 campaign didn't exactly inspire optimism about his level of play. On the other handā€¦ the Steelers really didn't have a better option at QB at that time.

Ben Roethlisberger's final season in Pittsburgh is what you'd expect from a QB at the end of his career. Gone was the athleticism and the cannon arm that saved the Steelers countless times. Big Ben was a shell of himself last season, as some fans viewed him more as a liability than an important piece of the offense.

Will Ben Roethlisberger return to the Steelers at some point over the next few years? Who's to say. Maybeā€¦ if the Mitch Trubisky experiment bombsā€¦ and Kenny Pickett doesn't turn out to be that guy, we'll see the return of the legend to his rightful throne.