The Pittsburgh Steelers have been very lucky at the quarterback position as the organization has had two legendary quarterbacks suit up for the franchise and win multiple Super Bowls. There are not many teams in the NFL that can say that same thing, and there are some franchises that have never truly had a franchise player at the position. Teams like the Chicago Bears have never had a passer throw for over 4,000 yards in a season, and the Cleveland Browns have never really been able to find their footing at the position.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger waves to fans as he walks off the Kansas City Chiefs home turf.
Ben Roethlisberger suited up at quarterback for the Steelers for 18 seasons, and he was one of the best players in the league throughout that time. He consistently had the Steelers in contention in the AFC, and he was able to hoist the Lombardi Trophy two times in his career. Pittsburgh has been stuck in quarterback-purgatory ever since Roethlisberger retired following the 2021 season, but that could have begun earlier as the former quarterback revealed he had the chance to end his career elsewhere. He spoke about this while talking with Matt Forte on the Sports Spectrum Podcast on Friday.
"I had a couple calls, when quarterbacks go down, when Aaron [Rodgers] went down, I think they call my agent and gauge some interest," Roethlisberger said. "At the end of my career, I had a chance to go play somewhere else, and I chose not to. I chose to go back to Pittsburgh, one last year, because I couldn't see myself anywhere else. 18 years with one team, it felt too special. It killed me, I was a Joe Montana guy, to think of him with the Chiefs, or those guys that went to other teams, it's like, 'No, don't do that!'"
The former quarterback revealed he had some interest from teams after he retired, specifically when Aaron Rodgers went down at the start of the 2023 season with the New York Jets. Roethlisberger didn't really entertain that idea, but he did have the opportunity to play elsewhere heading into the 2021 season, which wound up being the final year of his career.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger meets with former Packers QB Aaron Rodgers before a home game.
Roethlisberger renegotiated his contract with Pittsburgh heading into his final season in 2021 where he took a $5 million pay cut. Before that renegotiation occurred, he had the option to play elsewhere. There were plenty of teams going into the 2021 season with shaky quarterback situations, and Roethlisberger never revealed the team or teams that were in consideration for the 2021 season. Ultimately he decided to stay, as he did not want to put on another helmet during his NFL career.
The former quarterback cited a player like Joe Montana, who had a legendary career with the San Francisco 49ers, but wound up finishing his career with the Kansas City Chiefs. There were other quarterbacks that did something similar, like Philip Rivers and Matt Ryan. Both of those players finished their careers with Indianapolis Colts, which might have been an option for Roethlisberger in 2021.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger looks on before a home game in the Steel City.
Steelers' Roethlisberger Could Have Avoided His Pay Cut In 2021
Had Roethlisberger decided to end his career elsewhere in 2021, he probably would have avoided having to take a pay cut. He had a decent year in 2020, in which the Steelers started the season off 11-0. The team collapsed and lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs, but the quarterback proved he still had something left in the tank after missing most of the 2019 season. In 2020, he threw for over 3,800 yards and 33 touchdowns, which could have earned him a decent pay day elsewhere. His love for Pittsburgh reigned supreme, which is certainly a major reason he decided to stick it out in Pittsburgh.
What do you think of Roethlisberger nearly leaving Pittsburgh? What team do you think would have signed him? Let us know in the comments below!
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