Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger was offered an NFL comeback in 2022 and was “intrigued” by the opportunity to come out of retirement.
Roethlisberger, 41, spent his entire NFL career at the Steelers, playing between 2004 and 2021. The ex-quarterback was rewarded with two Super Bowls, with wins coming against the Seattle Seahawks and the Arizona Cardinals in 2005 and 2008 respectively.
However, Roethlisberger brought his 18-season professional football career to an end last year, the same year fellow legendary quarterback Tom Brady retired for the first time. Brady later un-retired to play the 2022 season with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but re-retired just a year later.
Roethlisberger has confirmed that he had the chance to unretire like Brady, and says he was “intrigued” by the opportunity of staging an NFL comeback. But Roethlisberger confirmed that it was the San Francisco 49ers - not his beloved Steelers. And it was his love for the Steelers which ultimately resulted in Roethlisberger not going in search of a third Super Bowl ring.
In an interview on Tuesday with Mark Madden on 105.9 The X, Roethlisberger said: “Last year, there were some truths to the Niners thing. They were, I think, reaching out maybe just to gauge my interest. I had discussions. I don't want to sit here and say I was going or anything like that. They called me to gauge interest…
"I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a small part of me that was intrigued, like, 'Oh man, I could still do it,' and prove to people that I could still play. At the end of the day, I just can't see myself in anything other than black and gold.
"Even though they had a great chance, I think, to win a Super Bowl, it would've been hard for me to go try and win a Super Bowl anywhere else but here."
The 49ers were in desperate need of a quarterback after being dealt a double injury blow with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo during the regular season. Both quarterbacks suffered season-ending injuries, sparking a search for a new face. However, their pursuit of Steelers loyalist Roethlisberger was unfruitful, and the 49ers settled for rookie seventh-round pick Brock Purdy. Purdy was a former Iowa State standout. The 23-year-old led the team to the NFC championship game but suffered an elbow injury in the game, contributing to a 31-7 rout by the Philadelphia Eagles.
Roethlisberger ended his NFL career with a 165-81-1 record, while throwing for 64,088 yards with 418 touchdown passes and 211 interceptions.
Franchises are already making full use of the free agency market ahead of the 2023 season. The Cincinnati Bengals have made one of the best plays so far by bringing in 27-year-old offensive tackle Orlando Brown.
The Miami Dolphins are also playing smart in signing linebacker David Long on a two-year contract worth just $11million (£8.9m). The veteran tackled ball carriers for a loss or no gain on 6.6 percent of his run-defense snaps last season.
Some of the more riskier plays have come from the likes of the Las Vegas Raiders, who brought in quarterback Garoppolo, who the 49ers tried to get Roethlisberger to replace last year. Vegas wanted a veteran presence and feel brings just that
