Dec 30, 2021 6 min read

We knew this day was coming with Ben Roethlisberger. After all, he had hinted at it after the 2017 season, when he openly spoke about the potential of retirement after a 13-3 season that saw the Steelers unceremoniously bounced from the AFC playoffs with a loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

That led to the Steelers’ selection of Mason Rudolph in the third round of the the 2018 NFL Draft and Roethlisberger openly wondering why the team would use a premium draft pick on a quarterback.

Turns out, it was just for times like this.

Roethlisberger confirmed Thursday what anyone who has been paying attention already believed was going to be the case – Monday night’s game against the Cleveland Browns will be the final home regular-season game of his storied 18-year career.

It was obvious early on that Roethlisberger was a special talent. Anyone who saw then-quarterbacks coach Mark Whipple at Saint Vincent College in 2004 having Roethlisberger working on throws on the move could see it. He was making accurate throws on the run like they were nothing.

Eighteen years, nearly 10,000 passes – including the playoffs – countless big hits and one major elbow surgery later, Roethlisberger is no longer that 22-year-old marvel of an athlete. Nobody would be.

Still, Roethlisberger’s overall numbers this season – more than 3,300 passing yards, 20 touchdown passes and eight interceptions with a 90.2 passer rating – aren’t all that far off from his career numbers.

But it’s time.

Roethlisberger has a young family. He wants to spend time with his three children, who will have memories of their father playing football.

And he gets to walk away from the game on his own terms. Not many do.

Roethlisberger also has provided the Steelers with a bridge year in 2021. They didn’t have the capital – either in the draft or under the salary cap – to acquire a starting quarterback this season.

They will in 2022, if they choose to go that route. Or, they could use Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins next season while they continue to build the nest for their next franchise quarterback.

But make no mistake, franchise quarterbacks don’t grow on trees. The Steelers went more than two decades between the time Terry Bradshaw’s elbow gave out and the selection of Roethlisberger.

Drafting quarterbacks remains an inexact science.

So, turn out Monday night and show Roethlisberger appreciation for all of the wins, the three Super Bowls and two championships he’s provided. But also show appreciation for the nearly two decades of quarterback stability he’s given the franchise.

• The argument by some that the Steelers wasted Roethlisberger’s career or should have more Super Bowl victories shows just how good they’ve had it.

There are seven quarterbacks in NFL history who have more Super Bowl appearances than Roethlisberger’s three. There are only four quarterbacks who have more than his two wins in the Super Bowl. There are five quarterbacks all-time who have more than his 13 playoff wins.

Super Bowls and playoff wins are tough to come by.

Before Tom Brady came along, Joe Montana was the standard by which playoff quarterbacks were judged. He was 16-7 in his career in the postseason with four Super Bowl wins.

Roethlisberger is 13-9 in the postseason with three trips to the Super Bowl. For the sake of reference, John Elway was 14-7 with two Super Bowl wins.

Roethlisberger just happened to play in one of the best quarterback eras in NFL history with Brady, Peyton Manning, Brett Favre, Drew Brees and Aaron Rodgers all also in the league, and younger stars such as Patrick Mahomes and Russell Wilson coming along later.

These weren’t wasted years. The Steelers were competitive and in the postseason chase – as they are this season, regardless of overall perception – every season of his career.

The same cannot be said for many of those aforementioned quarterbacks.

• So, is Monday night’s game really Roethlisberger’s final home game? Maybe, maybe not.

If the Steelers win their final two games against the Browns and Ravens – two teams they’ve already beaten – they can still win the division if the Bengals lose their final two games. Cincinnati hosts the Kansas City Chiefs this week and is a 5-point underdog at home, then finishes with a game at Cleveland, which beat the Bengals 41-16 at Paul Brown Stadium.

Those things are certainly possible.

This week’s picks

Browns (minus 3½) at Steelers: The Browns have averaged 16.1 points per game over their last 10 games after scoring 42 points in a loss to the Chargers. And that includes a game in which they scored 41 points against the Bengals. They’re even more offensively challenged than the Steelers, who have averaged 20.7 points per game over that same span. So why are the Browns favored? After all, the Steelers beat the Browns, 15-10, in Cleveland in Week 8. The Steelers have won 19 consecutive home Monday night games. And it’s Roethlisberger’s final home game. Take the Steelers, 20-17

Rams (minus 3½) at Ravens: Baltimore’s cornerback situation has reached the point where Joe Burrow threw for 525 yards against them last week. It was like a seven-on-seven drill – without the defensive seven on the field. The Rams’ passing game is every bit as explosive. Take the Rams, 34-20

Chiefs (minus 5) at Bengals: There seems to be a feeling the Bengals are playing well right now. They’re playing better than the other AFC North teams, but they’re still 4-4 in their past eight games. The Chiefs, meanwhile, have won eight straight games. The Bengals aren’t ready for this. Take the Chiefs, 31-21

Jaguars (plus 15) at Patriots: This is a huge number, but if you think the Patriots are going to score more than 15 points – and I do – then you have to take New England. Rookie quarterback Trevor Lawrence has one touchdown pass for the Jaguars since Halloween. One! Take the Patriots, 24-6

Dolphins (plus 3½) at Titans: Getting A.J. Brown back last week was huge for the Titans. They now simply need a win to clinch the AFC South title. The Dolphins have won seven in a row after losing seven straight earlier in the season. But that winning streak is built on the backs of the two New York teams (three times), the Texans, Panthers and Saints. The defense is playing better, but … Take the Dolphins to cover in a 23-20 loss.

Last Week: 2-3 ATS, 4-1 straight up; overall: 30-49 ATS; 48-33 straight up.