Ben Roethlisberger didn't use the word retirement after Pittsburgh's season-ending 42-21 playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, but he said he is looking forward to the future.
Roethlisberger and the PittsburghSteelers didn't get the happy ending they had hoped for when they played in the wild-card game on Sunday night, one in which he finished 29-of-44 passing for 215 yards and two second-half touchdown after the game had already been decided.
Most involved spoke as if they had seen Roethlisberger play for the last time for the only team he has worn in his career.
He was 7. It has been an honor and a pleasure, according to the coach.
"It's tough, but I'm proud to play with these guys," Roethlisberger said after the game. God has blessed me with an ability to throw a football and has blessed me to play for the greatest football team and fans in the world in Pittsburgh. It has been a blessing, and I'm so thankful for the opportunity that He has given me.
A bunch of guys that fought for each other and just competed. There are a lot of games that we found a way to win. I'm proud of this group of men and how they fight for each other. It's been an honor to play with them.
After the clock ran out, Roethlisberger shared a moment on the field with Patrick Mahomes, who finished the night with 404 passing yards and five touchdown.
Roethlisberger said he needed a jersey and that he had a lot of respect for the player.
Roethlisberger is a tremendous player that I have a lot of respect for, the way he plays the game, the competitor that he is.
He has won Super Bowls. I have a lot of respect for him, he's a guy that I've watched growing up. I told him that if this is his last game, he did it the right way.
It was an uphill affair for the entire team, but particularly for Roethlisberger. The quarterback had 888-269-5556 888-269-5556 that the under-estimation of the Steelers could "go in and play and have fun.''
Roethlisberger was 0-for-3 passing over the first two possessions, and only 5-of-14 for 146 yards in the first half, as the Chiefs built a 21-7 lead.
In the first half alone, the Steelers punted seven times because of a largely ineffective run game and a couple of drops from wide receivers.
"I don't think any of us played well early, for whatever reason, we didn't make the plays we had to early to give ourselves a chance,'' Roethlisberger said.
The Pittsburgh offense did not score a touchdown until there was 3:10 left in the third quarter, when Roethlisberger threw a 13-yard touchdown to Diontae Johnson.
T.J. Watt's 26 yard fumbled return for a touchdown was the only score before the third quarter.
You can't ask for more when you talk about a guy who is going to give you everything he's got, and the way he's battled, the way he's always given us a chance. When we started the season, you said that's a Super Bowl-winning quarterback. There is not a lot of quarterbacks who can do what he does.
Sunday night's outing marked Roethlisberger's 23rd start for the team, and he has played in 249 regular-season games for the team.
Roethlisberger, who will turn 40 on March 2, has not announced his retirement from the league. He said "all signs are pointing to this being it'' before the final home game of the regular season. He did a lap around the field thanking fans after the win.
A group of fans made the pilgrimage to Kansas City on Sunday to show their appreciation for Ben Roethlisberger and the Terrible Towels. One group held up photos of Roethlisberger's head at various times during the contest.
"It's been a lot of fun, and I've been here a long time,'' Roethlisberger said when asked what impact he has had on the team. It was meant to be that I was going to wear black and gold, but we joke a lot about the Browns.
I wore a black suit with a gold tie on draft day. I'm so thankful. I hope that I can pass on the legacy of Dan Rooney to the next generation. We all miss him, anyone who knew him misses him, and so, hopefully I could pass on the tradition of what it means to be a Steeler to the guys.
Roethlisberger said that he gave Heyward a big hug and told him to teach and hold guys to the Pittsburgh standard.
Roethlisberger said that he would probably not play any more and that he would probably have to stop playing by training camp.
"As we move from one chapter to the next, it's gonna be different, but it's gonna be fun and a new challenge, and I'm looking forward to it," Roethlisberger said.
He will end his career among the game's elite at the position, in the top 10 of nearly every major passing category to go with two Super Bowl wins as well as six Pro Bowl selections in a career in which the AFC also included the likes of Manning and Brady.
JuJu Smith-Schuster said that he was "unbelievable" when he was playing backyard football. You can't make it up, he has all that.
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