Tom Brady isn't the only superstar quarterback that has decided to hang it up after this season. All the attention may be on the GOAT — and rightfully so — but we also cannot overlook the fact that Pittsburgh Steelers icon Ben Roethlisberger has himself also retired from football after 18 illustrious seasons.

Steelers star linebacker TJ Watt recently shared his thoughts on Big Ben calling it a career. Watt was asked how life is going to be for Pittsburgh with Roethlisberger no longer in the picture and according to the four-time Pro Bowl OLB, he knows he will need to step up for the squad in an attempt to fill the void Big Ben has left:

“You have a guy that was a constant voice in the locker room for 18 years and there's obviously going to be some sort of void there and we need to fill it,” said Watt, via the team's official website. “Obviously it's going to be Cam, myself and then we're going to find a guy on the offensive side of the ball that wants that role as well. I feel very confident with the guys we have right now.”

As Watt explained, he intends to step into the leadership role inside the Steelers locker room along with veteran teammate Cameron Heyward. It goes without saying, however, that in terms of filling the actual role Big Ben plays on the field, Pittsburgh will still need to find a replacement quarterback for next season. The likes of Dwayne Haskins and Mason Rudolph will be in contention, but the general belief is that the Steelers will be bringing in a fresh face to take on the squad's QB1 role.

The Steelers should take their time here and weigh all the possible options they have in front of them. After all, it's not an easy task replacing an icon such as Ben Roethlisberger. For now, it's best that we all celebrate his marvelous career. For Watt, it is clear that he will cherish the privilege of having been able to share the field with a legend:

“He was kind of the ‘Wow, I'm playing in the NFL moment' going up against him in seven-on-seven my rookie year,” said Watt. “A tremendous talent, a Gold Jacket guy. To be able to watch his career up close. My locker was next to him my rookie year. Just very special to the Pittsburgh community, you can see how much they love and respect him for all he has done for the city. It was a really cool experience to share the locker room with him.”

Heyward himself also spoke out about losing Big Ben to retirement and it goes without saying that the three-time All-Pro defensive tackle is also going to miss the presence of his quarterback and good buddy both on and off the field. Nevertheless, Heyward knows that much like Watt, he too will need to be a leader for the Steelers:

“Leading by example and making sure I uphold the tradition,” said Heyward. “When I first got here, I was trying to be a sponge and learn a lot. Now I have to do that for other guys. Just trying to help them realize what was set before…a hard-nose defense, opportunistic offense, seizing the moment, having good special teams.

“It's a collective unit. That's what the Pittsburgh Steelers have been about. That's what it's always going to be about even after my time.”

2022 is going to be a very interesting season for the Steelers as they look to transition to a new era. As usual, this team will have high hopes entering the new campaign but realistically, how good their chances will be next term will rely heavily on their offseason activity.