Heading into his 15th season in the league, Pittsburgh Steelers star quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is once again facing questions concerning his long-term future. This has become the norm after he has pondered retirement in each of the previous two offseasons.
This time around, Roethlisberger had gotten ahead of the curb by voicing immediately after the Steelers' playoff exit that he wanted to play three to five more seasons. Longtime teammate and center, Maurkice Pouncey, has voiced that he believes that the 36-year-old be “crazy' to retire at this point of his illustrious career, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.
Roethlisberger is coming off yet another highly productive season that saw him earn his sixth Pro Bowl selection after throwing for 4,251 passing yards and 28 touchdown passes with a 64.2 completion rate and a 93.4 passer rating. This was his fifth season with more than 4,000 passing yards and seventh with more than 25 passing touchdowns.
He placed his special ability on display in the divisional round loss to the Jaguars by completing 37-of-58 passes for 469 yards and five touchdown passes against a stout Jacksonville secondary. In fact, he was the first player in league history to lose a playoff game despite throwing five touchdown passes. There is clearly plenty more left in the tank for him to play at a high level even in the latter portion of his career.
It may just simply come down to whether he can continue to handle the physical toll that comes with playing in the NFL. If he can, there is no reason to believe he won't be on the field for another three to five more seasons.
Follow Us
Subscribe