The biggest non-surprise of the Steelers season happened today — Ben Roethlisberger announced his retirement.
Roethlisberger is a sure-fire first-ballot Hall of Famer with 5,440 pass completions, over 64,000 passing yards, 418 touchdowns, two Super Bowls, and 165 wins in 18 seasons.
To be eligible for induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame, a player must be retired for at least five seasons. So, Roethlisberger’s first shot at a gold jacket will be 2027.
There’s still time to book a flight and accommodations.
Steelers.com’s Teresa Varley had a chance to talk to Big Ben about his next stop being Canton. He said he tries not to think about it.
“It’s humbling to have people say [next stop is Canton], but I try not to think about it,” Roethlisberger said. “That’s such a special, elite company to be in, elite place. If one day you’re lucky enough, blessed enough for them to call your name or them to come shake your hand and tell you that you’re in, it’s hard to think about it until then. People just talk about it. You just get humbled every time it’s brought up. I would feel incredibly blessed one day to be able to get there.”
With the news of @_BigBen7's retirement today, he would first be eligible for the Hall of Fame in 2027.@steelers | #HereWeGo pic.twitter.com/vs75lltGUN
— Pro Football Hall of Fame (@ProFootballHOF) January 27, 2022
