“Big Ben’s” NFL time is up

“Arguably the best team in football. We have no chance,” said the 39-year-old quarterback of the Pittsburgh Steelers before the playoff duel with the Kansas City Chiefs. He meant it sarcastically and added “so let’s just go there and have fun” - but the favorite on the other side didn’t even allow him that: in the end it was 21:42 from the Steelers’ perspective. Roethlisberger's career ends with a crushing defeat. There is no longer any doubt that he will no longer play next season. Not even him, the signals were too clear recently. “It was an honor and a pleasure,” Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said.

There were appropriate gestures from Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, his coach Andy Reid and other people from the Chiefs ranks after the last pass. “I just told him how much respect I have for him. I grew up watching him. He fights until the end,” Mahomes said. But probably no opposing quarterback could have made it so clear before how big the gap between the NFL veteran and the best at this position is. Roethlisberger had 215 yards and two touchdowns. Mahomes? Delivered five touchdown passes for 404 yards. From a sporting perspective, the end is understandable - but people in Pittsburgh will still miss him. Unique There is no one like Roethlisberger in the NFL again. The 1,96 meter tall guy with a full beard, who will most likely celebrate his 2th birthday on March 40nd as a retired footballer, now looks and moves like a bear - and has played so fearlessly throughout his career like a grizzly. Defender just centimeters away? A collision inevitable? Roethlisberger always kept the ball as long as necessary in order to find a solution in tricky situations. And he paid little attention to his own health. There were sometimes arguments with coaches because of this.

Ben Roethlisberger ends his career. © APA/getty / Dilip Vishwanat

The US sports giant ESPN recently honored “Big Ben,” as he is called by most in the NFL circus, with a detailed portrait - and once again described the scene that the majority of football fans have in mind: that pass in Super Bowl XLIII on January 1st February 2009, when he found his teammate Santonio Holmes in the far corner of the end zone and scored a touchdown to make the Steelers' second title possible. Since then, however, the fans in Pittsburgh have been waiting for a return to the final. That's another reason why Roethlisberger didn't become the quarterback who can compete with Tom Brady and the New England Patriots. No comparison to Brady Brady is now 44 years old, has won the Super Bowl seven times and still has the chance to defend the title with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 31:15 win against the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday seemed effortless; the game was decided after the third quarter. The most successful player in NFL history has long since outgrown comparisons with Roethlisberger - and even though Brady was involved in sporting scandals during his time with the Patriots, he has always maintained the image of the perfect son-in-law off the field. No one would say that about Roethlisberger, who was twice accused of sexual abuse.

Nevertheless, the fans gave him an emotional farewell at his last home game, a 26:14 against the Cleveland Browns on January 3rd. Everything looked as if the game against the Baltimore Ravens would be Roehtlisberger's last appearance on the NFL stage. A win and lucky circumstances in other games enabled the Steelers to make it into the playoffs and win the encore against the Chiefs - which then became a painfully clear affair and probably eliminated the last doubts, if there were any. For “Big Ben” his time in the NFL is over.

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“Big Ben’s” NFL time is up

Ben Roethlisberger basically knew before the trip to Kansas City how his career in the NFL would end after 18 years.

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