Ben Roethlisberger to retire after 2021 season, per report

The Pittsburgh Steelers are struggling to stay in the playoff race, and it would appear there is an expected development coming once the season ends. Ben Roethlisberger has told “former teammates and some within the organization” that he expects to retire after the 2021 season, per Adam Schefter.

Roethlisberger is in his 18th season and it has become more and more clear that he is nearing the end of the road in his career. He is in the final year of his contract and Schefter is reporting it is “highly unlikely” he would move on to another NFL team to close out his career.

The Steelers quarterback depth chart currently includes Roethlisbeger, Mason Rudolph, and Dwayne Haskins. There had been some thought that 2017 fourth-round pick Joshua Dobbs might end up as the QB of the future, but that seems unlikely to come to fruition. The team traded him to the Dolphins in 2019 after Rudolph beat him out for the backup job. Dobbs returned in 2020 when the Steelers claimed him off waivers. He is spending this season on injured reserve.