An era is coming to an end: After 18 years in the NFL with the Pittsburgh Steelers, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has announced the end of his career.

Munich – In a video statement, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has announced the end of his NFL career. The 39-year-old spent 18 years with the Pittsburgh Steelers and won the Super Bowl twice with them.

“The journey has been exciting and filled with fighting spirit,” Roethlisberger said. “But now it’s time to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats and be there for my wife and kids. I am retiring from football as a truly grateful man.”

“I thank all my teammates and the countless friends I have made for our shared dedication to wearing the colours black and gold with pride and dignity. Wearing the jersey every Sunday with my brothers will always be one of the greatest joys of my life,” Roethlisberger continued.

A message from Ben:@steelers NFL SteelersNation ThankYouHereWeGo LoveAndHonor pic. twitter.com/pUbKGO1nUs

– BigBen7.com (@_BigBen7) January 27, 2022

Playoff exit against the Chiefs his last game

Roethlisberger was selected by the Steelers as the eleventh pick in the first round in the 2004 NFL Draft. He won the Super Bowl with the team in 2006 and 2009. In total, “Big Ben” was selected in six Pro Bowls. In his career, he totalled 64,088 passing yards and 418 touchdown passes.

In his last NFL season, Roethlisberger reached the playoffs with the Steelers, but was eliminated in the Wild Card Round with a 21:42 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. In his last NFL game, “Big Ben” had 215 passing yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions.