Ben Roethlisberger retires from the NFL after 18 seasons with the Steelers
CBSN
The two-time Super Bowl champion is hanging up the cleats
It was a move many anticipated, but it's now official. Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger announced on Thursday that he's retiring at the age of 39. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft out of Miami University won two Super Bowls in Pittsburgh and was a six-time Pro Bowler.
"Big Ben" played in 249 regular-season games, 23 postseason games and three Super Bowls. He retires while sitting at No. 5 on the all-time passing list with 64,088 yards -- one spot behind Brett Favre and right above Philip Rivers. The 2004 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year made his mark on the Steelers immediately, as he led Pittsburgh to the most wins ever recorded by a rookie with 15. Later, he became the fourth quarterback in NFL history to win 100 games in the first 150 starts of his career. Roethlisberger also holds the NFL record for most career 500-yard passing games with four.
Roethlisberger announced his decision to retire on Twitter:
