After 18 memorable seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger opted to call it a career on Thursday, as he officially retired from the NFL.

Much was speculated over the regular season that this was indeed going to be the final run for Roethlisberger. Even as there was outside talk about the possibility that the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback would have some interest in joining another team in free agency, he instead shut down such noise by retiring as a Steeler.

Over the day, Roethlisberger has received plenty of tributes from players who he played against and former talents who watched him as a fan. For one, longtime New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning sent a video message to Roethlisberger, where he wished him the best in retirement.

“Hey Ben, just wanted to congratulate you on retirement pal,” Manning said. “18 years in one historic organization, it's a great path, so congratulations on that.

“We've been tied together since our draft class in 2004. It's an honor to share that draft class with you. It's an honor to have competed against you. … All the best in retirement and enjoy.”

As Manning touched on, the two will be forever linked, as they were among the notable quarterbacks selected in the first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft. They each won a pair of Super Bowls in their respective careers, but Roethlisberger does have some bragging rights over Manning, as he finished with a 3-1 career record against him in regular season play.

It will be noteworthy to see just what is next now for the longtime Steelers quarterback. At the least, he is well expected to one day receive the call to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame.