Ben Roethlisberger Didn't Consider Retirement: 'I Want to Win Lombardis'

"I knew it hurt and I knew I had some options, but I just didn't feel like I was done playing football."

PITTSBURGH -- Sept. 15, 2019, started a roller coaster that had fans and media wondering whether or not Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger would ever play an NFL game again. The 38-year-old is returning from surgery on his throwing elbow and the first season-ending injury of his career. A milestone that many believed could end his playing days.

But Roethlisberger didn't think what the fans were. As speculations surfaced on whether or not Big Ben's time was over, he prepared for a comeback. 

"I knew it hurt, and I knew I had some options, but I just didn't feel like I was done playing football," Roethlisberger said to media on a Zoom call. "I really felt that I wanted to come back. I was excited about this team, and I didn't feel, I don't feel, like I'm done playing football yet. If it was a thought, it wasn't a long one."

Roethlisberger said he tore three flexor tendons off the bone in his throwing elbow. An injury he doesn't believe many quarterbacks have suffered before, there was uncertainty with his return process. 

Despite the uncertainty of the future, Roethlisberger knew he wanted to end his career differently. Walking off the field holding his elbow wasn't how the 17-year veteran was looking to walk away from football. 

"I think any athlete, any competitor, will tell you they want to go out on their own terms," Roethlisberger said. "It doesn't happen all the time, we don't always get lucky. Whether that's trades, cuts, injuries, whatever that is. I think that if I felt that I was closer to the end, it might have been more of a decision for me to think longer about coming back or not. But I didn't feel that I was close to that yet. I'm not saying I got 10 years left in me, but I definitely feel like I got some really good years left in me. 

"That was definitely a motivating factor, was coming back and showing that I still have a lot in the tank. I still have a lot to give this team. I still have a lot to give the fans. And I just want to win Lombardis and I say that with a plural on the end."

Noah Strackbein is a Publisher with AllSteelers. Follow Noah on Twitter @NoahStrack, and AllSteelers @si_steelers.