Longtime Browns Foe, Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger Retires

PITTSBURGH, PA — After nearly two decades of breaking Cleveland Browns fans' hearts, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is retiring.

The 18-year veteran announced his departure from the NFL on Thursday. Pittsburgh fans are already clamoring for him to be enshrined in the NFL Hall of Fame.

Roethlisberger, 39, tormented Cleveland over two decades, starting when the Browns passed on him in the 2004 draft. During his career, he racked up a devastating 26-3-1 record against the Browns.

"The time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats, and continue to be all I can be to my wife and children," he said in a message shared on the Steelers website. "I retire from football a truly grateful man."

During the final home game of his career, Roethlisberger captained the Steelers as they beat the Browns 26-14. He threw for one touchdown and one interception, but only 123 yards. It was good enough to again silence the Dawg Pound and send Cleveland's franchise into turmoil. After the game, Roethlisberger walked around the stadium giving fans high-fives before greeting his wife and three children in the end zone. It felt like the end of an era.

The Steelers lost their last game of the season — a playoff drubbing at the hands of the Kansas City Chiefs — but Big Ben's career won't be tainted by those waning moments. His list of accomplishments remains, painfully, very long.

He was the quarterback on two Super Bowl winning teams, won the NFL Rookie of the Year award and passed for 64,088 yards, the fifth-most in league history. He ranks eighth in passing touchdowns with 418, just behind Pittsburgh native Dan Marino (420) and former San Diego Charger and Indianapolis Colt Philip Rivers (421).

Roethlisberger, who played college football at Miami University in Ohio, was the 11th player taken in the 2004 NFL draft. Cleveland picked No. 6 and passed on their semi-native son to draft Kellen Winslow, a tight end from Miami in Florida.

On the bright side for Browns fans, Roethlisberger's retirement, though not unexpected, leaves the Steelers with a gaping hole at the quarterback position. Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins and Joshua Dobbs remain on the roster, but Coach Mike Tomlin has indicated another quarterback will be brought in to compete for the job.