One of the most famous, legendary quarterback of Pittsburgh Steelers Ben Roethlisberger has recently announced his retirement. The 39-year-old confirmed the long-awaited decision in a video after 18 seasons and two Super Bowl victories.
After being selected 11th overall in the NFL draught out of Miami University, the Ohio native won the league’s most prestigious award in only his second season with the Steelers. At the age of 23, he became the youngest quarterback in history to win the Vince Lombardi Trophy after defeating the Seattle Seahawks in the 2005 season Super Bowl.
Three years later, he duplicated the feat, solidifying a Steelers dynasty in the 2000s that rivalled the legendary 1970s team and propelling the organisation to the top of the all-time Super Bowl wins list with six. The New England Patriots and Tom Brady later tied the record.
Roethlisberger’s retirement underscores a changing of the guard in American football, with significant speculation about the futures of Brady, 44, and Rodgers, 38, two long-serving, highly regarded quarterbacks who were knocked out of the playoffs last weekend.
In what many expected to be his final game, Roethlisberger threw for 215 yards and two scores in a 42-21 loss to the Chiefs.
In a statement, he said, “I don’t know how to put into words what the game of football has meant to me,” he added by saying, “But I know with confidence I have given my all to the game.”
