Ben Roethlisberger
Template:Short description Template:Redirect Template:Pp-blp Template:Pp-move Template:Use American English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox gridiron football biography
Benjamin Todd Roethlisberger Sr. (Template:IPAc-en Template:Respell; born March 2, 1982), nicknamed "Big Ben", is an American former professional football quarterback who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers. He played college football for the Miami RedHawks, and was selected by the Steelers in the first round (11th overall) of the 2004 NFL draft.
Roethlisberger earned the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award in 2004 and his first Pro Bowl selection in 2007. In 2006, he became the youngest Super Bowl–winning quarterback in NFL history, winning Super Bowl XL 21–10 over the Seattle Seahawks in his second season at the age of 23. Roethlisberger led the Steelers to a second Super Bowl title in four seasons as they defeated the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII, 27–23, after completing a game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes with 35 seconds left in the game. He appeared in his third Super Bowl in Super Bowl XLV, but the team lost by a score of 31–25 to the Green Bay Packers.
Roethlisberger was one of the most prolific passers in NFL history. Upon retirement, he ranked 5th all-time in NFL career passing yards (64,088),<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 8th all-time in touchdowns (418), and 5th in completions (5,440) among quarterbacks with a minimum of 1,500 career attempts. He also had the fourth-highest career winning percentage (.710) as a starter in the regular season among quarterbacks with a minimum of 100 starts and was one of six quarterbacks in NFL history to have beaten at least 31 of the current 32 NFL teams.<ref name="31 teams">Template:Cite web</ref>
Known for playing outside the passing pocket in what he calls "backyard football",<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger grew up idolizing John Elway and has often been compared to him, wearing number 7 in his honor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Early life
Roethlisberger was born in Lima, Ohio,<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> the son of Ida Jane (née Foust) and Kenneth Todd "Ken" Roethlisberger. His father is a former pitcher and quarterback at Georgia Tech.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is of part Swiss descent; his surname, Roethlisberger (Swiss-German spelling: Röthlisberger), is of Swiss origin, with roots in Geissbühl, a farming hamlet in the municipality of Lauperswil, Switzerland.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His younger sister, Carlee Roethlisberger, played basketball for the University of Oklahoma.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
At Findlay High School in Findlay, Ohio, Roethlisberger was captain of the Trojans' football, basketball, and baseball teams. Roethlisberger did not play quarterback until his senior year, giving way to the coach's son, Ryan Hite. Instead, Roethlisberger played wide receiver. "I'm a nationally known knucklehead in many people's eyes," Hite conceded in a 2004 interview to the Toledo Blade but insisted his decision had not been an act of nepotism, or miscalculation.<ref name="tb1" /> "We did a bunch of drills and my son throwing to Ben was a better combination," he said.<ref name="tb1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Ken Roethlisberger, a former Georgia Tech quarterback, never publicly criticized Hite for playing Ryan ahead of his son Ben. He has stated, "It was a coach's call. You make good ones, you make bad ones. And I'm not even saying this was a bad one. We can say it was now, but how do we know for sure?" Ryan Hite went on to Denison University where, as a wide receiver, he set numerous career and single-season records by the time he graduated from college.<ref name="tb1" />
College career
2000–2001
Template:See also Roethlisberger played college quarterback at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio. After arriving at Miami in 2000, he was redshirted his first season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 2001 season, he made his collegiate debut against Michigan, completing 18 of 35 passes for 193 yards and two touchdowns in the 31–13 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against Akron, he broke the school single-game passing record with 399 passing yards, with 70 of those yards coming on a Hail Mary to Eddie Tillitz to win the game by a score of 30–27 as time expired.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> When Miami played Bowling Green, he had two touchdowns and 305 passing yards and broke the MAC freshman passing yardage record in the 24–21 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against Hawaii, he broke school records for attempts, completions, and yardage, when he went 40 of 53 for 452 yards and three touchdowns in the 52–51 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished his first year with the Redhawks with 3,105 passing yards, 241 completions, and 25 touchdown completions while leading them to a 7–5 record.<ref name="muredhawks.com">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2002
Template:See also Roethlisberger's second season as the RedHawks starter was marked with a 7–5 record once again.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He broke the MAC single-game record for passing yards in a 48–41 loss against Northern Illinois on October 12 when he threw for 525 yards and four touchdowns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He won the MAC East Special Teams Player of the Week for three punts that landed inside the 20 in the 27–13 victory over Toledo.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He established the Miami single-season record with 3,238 passing yards and 271 completions in 2002.<ref name="muredhawks.com" />
2003
Template:See also After starting the season with a loss to the Iowa Hawkeyes, Roethlisberger led the Miami RedHawks to an unbeaten record in the MAC, 12 consecutive wins, a #10 ranking in the Associated Press poll, and a 49–28 victory over Louisville in the 2003 GMAC Bowl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished his 2003 season with a conference-leading 343 completions, 4,486 passing yards, and 37 passing touchdowns, breaking school single-season records in all three categories.<ref name="muredhawks.com" /> He was named as the MAC Offensive Player of the Year for the 2003 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
His jersey number 7 was retired by the RedHawks during homecoming on October 13, 2007; the festivities included the RedHawks football game against Bowling Green. Roethlisberger became the third athlete in Miami football history to have his number retired, joining John Pont and Bob Hitchens. Roethlisberger's number being retired was the first time in 34 years Miami retired a football jersey number.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
College statistics
| Season | Games | Passing | Rushing | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | |
| 2000 | 0 | — | Redshirt Redshirt | ||||||||||
| 2001 | 12 | 7–5 | 241 | 381 | 63.3 | 3,105 | 8.1 | 21 | 2 | 120 | 189 | 1.6 | 3 |
| 2002 | 12 | 7–5 | 271 | 428 | 63.3 | 3,238 | 7.6 | 22 | 11 | 82 | 54 | 0.7 | 1 |
| 2003 | 14 | 13–1 | 342 | 495 | 69.1 | 4,486 | 9.1 | 37 | 10 | 67 | 111 | 1.7 | 3 |
| Career | 38 | 27–11 | 854 | 1,304 | 65.5 | 10,829 | 8.3 | 80 | 23 | 269 | 354 | 1.3 | 7 |
Miami Redhawks records
All records are from the Miami University 2008 media guide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Div col
- Most games in a season w/200+ yards passing – 14 (2003; NCAA record)
- Consecutive games in a season w/200+ yards passing – 14 (2003; NCAA record)
- Most pass attempts, career – 1,304 (2001–03)
- Most pass attempts, season – 495 (2003)
- Most pass completions, career – 854 (2001–03)
- Most pass completions, season – 342 (2003)
- Most pass completions, game – 41<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most passing yards, career – 10,829 (2001–03)
- Most passing yards, season – 4,486 (2003)
- Most passing yards, game – 525
- Most passing touchdowns, career – 84 (2001–03)
- Most passing touchdowns, season – 37 (2003)
- Most passing touchdowns, game – 5
- Most total offense yards, career – 11,075 (2001–03)
- Most total offense yards, season – 4,597 (2003)
- Most total offense yards, game – 485
- Most 300+ yard passing games – 14
- Most 400+ yard passing games – 4
- Most games w/ 4+ touchdown passes – 7
- Highest completion %, career (Min. 300 attempts) – 65.5% (2001–03)
- Highest completion %, season (Min. 100 attempts) – 69.1% (2003)
Professional career
When ESPN began broadcasting MAC games on Tuesdays and Wednesdays—days without other football on television—in 2000, nationwide "MACtion" audiences watched Roethlisberger's teams.<ref name="sherman20191119">Template:Cite web</ref> The success of the 2003 Miami Redhawks led to the expectation that he would be drafted early. At the combine, Roethlisberger scored a 25 on the Wonderlic.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the GMAC Bowl, commentators discussed some of his skills that would translate to success in the NFL. Roethlisberger was one of the players invited to attend the draft along with others in the "Green Room" and was featured on the show Hey Rookie, Welcome to the NFL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the 2004 NFL draft, Roethlisberger was the second-highest touted quarterback behind Ole Miss' Eli Manning. He was projected to be taken by the New York Giants as the fourth overall pick, with the San Diego Chargers taking Manning first overall.<ref name="Linked">Template:Cite web</ref> While the Chargers drafted Manning, the Giants instead selected NC State quarterback Philip Rivers as part of a trade deal that sent Manning to the Giants and Rivers to the Chargers. The Pittsburgh Steelers selected Roethlisberger 11th overall, making him the highest-drafted quarterback to play for the team that picked him, and the highest draft pick the Steelers used on a quarterback since selecting Terry Bradshaw first overall in 1970.<ref name="2004draft">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Steelers almost didn't select Roethlisberger, as head coach Bill Cowher and director of football operations Kevin Colbert had planned to select Arkansas guard Shawn Andrews. However, Steelers owner Dan Rooney overrode both Cowher and Colbert upon seeing that Roethlisberger was still available and the Steelers not wanting a repeat of passing on a franchise quarterback, as they had done in the 1983 NFL draft when they drafted Gabriel Rivera while local product Dan Marino was still available.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was being interviewed live on ESPN by Suzy Kolber when he received the phone call from Cowher, confirming his selection before it was officially announced by Paul Tagliabue.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger was one of 17 quarterbacks taken in the 2004 NFL Draft, along with Manning and Rivers.<ref name="2004draft" /> All three would enjoy lengthy and successful careers with the teams that signed them and have been compared favorably to the aforementioned 1983 Draft, which included Hall of Fame quarterbacks John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Marino.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A two-time Super Bowl winner and six-time Pro Bowler, Roethlisberger leads the three in wins, winning percentage, and postseason appearances, and had the longest career among them.<ref name="benpfr" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="2004draft" />
2004
.jpg){kind=link}
On August 4, Roethlisberger signed a six-year contract to the Steelers worth $22.26 million in salaries and bonuses, with an additional $17.73 million available via incentives. He was touted by Steelers head coach Bill Cowher in a press conference as a franchise quarterback.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He started his rookie season as the third quarterback on the depth chart behind veterans Tommy Maddox and Charlie Batch. When Batch was injured in the preseason, however, Roethlisberger took over the backup quarterback role. Maddox started, and won, the season opener against the Oakland Raiders and started versus the Baltimore Ravens, but after an ineffective outing and third-quarter injury to Maddox, Roethlisberger stepped in for his first NFL action.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite spurring a mild comeback, the Steelers lost to the Ravens by a score of 30–13. In his regular season debut against the Ravens, Roethlisberger completed 12 of 20 passes for 176-yards and two touchdowns, and two interceptions. During the game, he threw his first career touchdown, on a three-yard pass to Antwaan Randle El and also threw his first career interception to Ravens linebacker Adalius Thomas.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Maddox's injury changed the Steelers' original plan for Roethlisberger, which was for him to sit on the bench or play sparingly during the first season or two in order to learn the team's system. Instead, he started the third game of the season against the Miami Dolphins, finishing the 13–3 victory with 12 of 22 completions, 163 passing yards, one touchdown, and an interception.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 6, in a 24–20 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, he was 21 of 25 for 193 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn his first AFC Offensive Player of the Week honor.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
As a rookie, he went 13–0 in the regular season (14–1 including playoffs) as a starting quarterback, helping the Steelers become the first AFC team to have 15 wins (2–1 under Maddox [first two and last game], 13–0 under Roethlisberger) in a single regular season, surpassing former Steeler Mike Kruczek for the record for the best start by a rookie (6–0) and exceeding the mark for total wins as a rookie, set by Chris Chandler and Joe Ferguson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 5, Roethlisberger was unanimously selected as the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year by the Associated Press, the first quarterback in 34 years to be so honored.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In addition, he was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On October 31, he had one of his biggest games, leading the Steelers to a 34–20 victory over the defending Super Bowl champion and previously undefeated New England Patriots, ending their NFL-record 21-game winning streak. He completed 18 of 24 pass attempts for 196 yards, two touchdowns, and no turnovers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next game, the Steelers defeated the also previously undefeated Philadelphia Eagles 27–3, with Roethlisberger going 11 of 18 for 183 yards, with two touchdowns and one interception.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 5, he led the Steelers to a 17–16 victory over the Jacksonville Jaguars. He was near-perfect on the night, completing 14 of 17 passes for 226 yards and two touchdowns. Jeff Reed's 37-yard field goal in the final minute gave the Steelers and Roethlisberger their tenth straight win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Two weeks later, Roethlisberger faced off against the New York Giants and the first overall pick of the 2004 draft, Eli Manning. Roethlisberger posted his first career 300-yard passing game, with 18 of 28 passes for 316 yards and a touchdown. He led his fifth game-winning drive of the season, capping a drive with a Jerome Bettis touchdown run for a 33–30 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the Divisional Round of the playoffs against the New York Jets, Roethlisberger threw two interceptions. One interception was returned for a touchdown, and the other was thrown with 2:03 left in the fourth quarter, which set up a potential game-winning field goal by Jets kicker Doug Brien. Brien missed the kick as time expired (his second missed kick in the last two minutes of the game), forcing the game into overtime. In overtime, Roethlisberger led the Steelers down the field and put them in position for the game-winning field goal, a 33-yard attempt that was made by Jeff Reed, sending the Steelers into the AFC Championship for the fourth time in 10 years.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On January 23 in the AFC Championship Game in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger completed 14 of 24 pass attempts for 226 yards and two touchdowns, but he also threw three costly interceptions, one of which was returned 87 yards for a touchdown by Rodney Harrison.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Steelers lost the game to the eventual Super Bowl champions, the New England Patriots, by a score of 41–27.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2005: First Super Bowl championship
In the 2005 regular season, the Steelers finished with an 11–5 record. After securing an AFC Wild Card spot en route to victory in the Super Bowl, the Steelers pulled off upsets at Indianapolis and Denver in the AFC playoffs in addition to wins over the higher seed Cincinnati Bengals and Seattle Seahawks.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the course of the regular 2005 season, Roethlisberger missed four games due to various knee injuries.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Steelers went 9–3 with Roethlisberger at quarterback and 2–2 without him. He led the league in yards per attempt, with an 8.90, and finished third in passer rating behind Peyton Manning and Carson Palmer with a 98.6.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Super Bowl run began on January 8 as Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a Divisional Round playoff win over the Cincinnati Bengals—an AFC North rival that had beaten the Steelers by seven points in the regular season to win the division championship. The rematch featured two teams with identical records, having split their regular season series since each team won on the road. Early in the game on Carson Palmer's first throw, a tackle by former Bengal Kimo von Oelhoffen resulted in Palmer's anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) being completely torn.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Bengals' backup quarterback, Jon Kitna, came in and led the Bengals to leads of 10–0 and 17–7. However, the 17–7 lead midway through the second quarter was the last time in the 2005 postseason that the Steelers trailed an opponent by more than three points. After Kitna failed to produce, the Steelers took advantage by taking the next 24 straight points, and the win, in a 31–17 victory in Cincinnati.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Their second road win came on January 15 when Roethlisberger led the Steelers against the Indianapolis Colts in the Divisional Round, the NFL's top team throughout the season and a heavy favorite to represent the AFC in Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger threw for 197 yards and recorded a game-saving tackle on Colts' defensive back Nick Harper, who had just recovered a Jerome Bettis fumble with less than two minutes left in the game. Pittsburgh led early but had to survive a Colts comeback to win 21–18, after an errant call that the NFL later admitted was a mistake,<ref name="nfl">Template:Cite web</ref> which overturned a Troy Polamalu interception that would have secured the game for the Steelers. Roethlisberger's tackle on Harper, dubbed by many as The Tackle II or The Immaculate Redemption, was compared by many to "The Immaculate Reception" in 1972, when Franco Harris made a miraculous reception and scored the game-winning touchdown against the Oakland Raiders. The victory marked the first time in playoff history that a sixth-seeded NFL playoff team defeated the top-seeded team.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On January 22, 2006, the Steelers defeated the Denver Broncos by a score of 34–17 in Denver to win the AFC Championship and advance to Super Bowl XL. Roethlisberger completed 21 of 29 passes for 275 yards and threw two touchdown passes and scored one touchdown himself on a four-yard play-action bootleg. His run was the last touchdown of the game, sealing the win for the Steelers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Steelers won Super Bowl XL 21–10 over the Seattle Seahawks in Detroit on February 5.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger had one of the worst passing games of his career, completing just nine of 21 passes for 123 yards and two interceptions; his passer rating of 22.6 was the lowest in Super Bowl history by a winning quarterback. Though he did convert eight third-down situations in the game to help the Steelers win, none of them was bigger than his 37-yard pass to Super Bowl XL MVP Hines Ward on a third-and-28 that set up the Steelers' first touchdown (a one-yard quarterback sneak by Roethlisberger on third and goal). With the victory, Roethlisberger, at 23 years old, became the youngest quarterback to win the Super Bowl, a record previously held by Tom Brady of the New England Patriots.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2006
Template:See also After an off-season motorcycle crash in which he was seriously injured, Roethlisberger missed the opening game of the 2006 season after having an emergency appendectomy on September 3.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Backup Charlie Batch started and led the Steelers to a victory over the Miami Dolphins. Roethlisberger played the following game against the Jacksonville Jaguars. His return resulted in a sub-par performance as he threw two interceptions with no touchdowns in a 9–0 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 3, Roethlisberger completed fewer than half of his passes for three interceptions and no touchdowns in a 28–20 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals. The final interception came in the final seconds of the game, in the end zone, ending Pittsburgh's comeback attempt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 5 against the San Diego Chargers, Roethlisberger looked sharp throughout the first half, leading three scoring drives. However, in the second half, he threw two interceptions, both of which shifted momentum away from the Steelers and led to the Chargers' 23–13 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 6 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger had his first big game of the season, completing 16 of 19 passes for 238 yards with two touchdowns (his first of the year) and no interceptions during a 45–7 rout of the Chiefs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During Week 7 in Atlanta, Roethlisberger continued his success, going 16 of 22 for 237 yards and three touchdowns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, during the third quarter, Roethlisberger was helped off the field after sustaining a concussion following a controversial hit by Falcons defensive end Patrick Kerney. Roethlisberger was replaced by Charlie Batch, and the Steelers went on to lose 41–38 in overtime.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
On October 29 against the Oakland Raiders, Roethlisberger threw four interceptions in a 20–13 upset loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The loss was his fifth of the season—two more than he had in his first two seasons combined as a starter—and gave him a total of 11 interceptions, versus just six touchdowns, on the season. In a Week 9 rematch of the 2005 AFC Championship against the Denver Broncos, Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 433 yards but had three of the six Steelers turnovers in a 31–20 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger and the Steelers got back on a winning track in a home game a week later against the New Orleans Saints. He passed for 265 yards and three touchdowns in a 38–31 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 11, Roethlisberger overcame three first-half interceptions by throwing for 224 yards and two touchdowns in the fourth quarter, leading the Steelers to score 21 points and come back to beat the Cleveland Browns, 24–20.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following week, Roethlisberger and the Steelers were held scoreless in a 27–0 loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Roethlisberger finished 21 of 41 for 214 yards and two interceptions. He was sacked nine times, including once by Ravens linebacker Bart Scott, which sent him to the sidelines briefly. He also fumbled once, which the Ravens returned for a touchdown in the second half.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger bounced back the following game, throwing for 198 yards and two touchdowns in a 20–3 victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pittsburgh kept their playoff hopes alive in Week 14 with a 27–7 victory against the Browns. Roethlisberger went 11 of 21 for 225 yards with one touchdown, and rushed for one more.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 15, Roethlisberger threw for 140 yards and a touchdown in a 37–3 rout of the Carolina Panthers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The following week, Baltimore eliminated Pittsburgh from the playoffs. In the 31–7 defeat, Roethlisberger was intercepted twice and threw for 156 yards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger ended the season on a good note by defeating the Cincinnati Bengals by a score of 23–17 in overtime and eliminating them from playoff contention in what was Bill Cowher's final game as the Steelers' head coach. He was 19 for 28 passing with 280 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. In overtime, Roethlisberger completed a slant pass to rookie Santonio Holmes, who went 67 yards for the game-winning touchdown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2007
Template:See also In Week 1 against the Cleveland Browns, Roethlisberger threw four touchdown passes in a game for the first time in his NFL career as he led the Steelers to a win in the debut of new Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 4, Roethlisberger looked to get a win over his former offensive coordinator Ken Whisenhunt, who was then the head coach of the Cardinals. However, Roethlisberger had his first loss of the season as he was intercepted twice; once in the red zone, and then on a desperation pass with six seconds left in the game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 9 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger passed for a career-high five touchdown passes, which tied the team record held by Terry Bradshaw and Mark Malone. All five touchdowns were thrown in the first half, making Roethlisberger one of two quarterbacks in the 2007 season (the other being Tom Brady), and only the fifth quarterback since the 1970 merger, to accomplish such a feat. He also posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against the Browns in Week 10, Roethlisberger helped the Steelers erase a 15-point deficit against the rival Browns in a 31–28 victory. He passed for 278 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 12 against the Miami Dolphins, Roethlisberger set a Steelers record, completing 85.7% of his passes (18 of 21) as the Steelers beat the Miami Dolphins, 3–0—a feat made all the more remarkable given the weather conditions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Pittsburgh was hit with a torrential storm, delaying the Monday night game 30 minutes due to lightning, while turning the new sod on the field, laid earlier that week, into a soggy mess. In many parts of the field, players sunk several inches with each step. After one of the game's punts, the ball infamously stood straight up, stuck in the ground upon impact. With the game scoreless in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger led a game-winning field goal drive for the only points of the night.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Roethlisberger threw his 29th touchdown pass of the season in Week 15 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, breaking the team single-season touchdown pass record previously held by Bradshaw.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Week 16 against the St. Louis Rams, Roethlisberger became the first quarterback in NFL history to have two perfect passer rating (158.3) games in the same regular season, completing 16 of 20 passes for 261 yards and three touchdowns. It was his third career-perfect passer rating game, tying Peyton Manning for the most such regular-season games in NFL history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He earned his second AFC Offensive Player of the Week nod for the 2007 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
To cap his comeback season, Roethlisberger was selected to his first Pro Bowl, joining five other Steelers teammates on the AFC squad.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger's 32 touchdown passes ranked third in the NFL, behind Tony Romo and Tom Brady, while his 104.1 passer rating was second only to Brady.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger also set a new Steelers single-season record with 32 touchdown passes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a rematch of the Week 15 game, the Steelers were defeated by the Jaguars in the AFC Wild Card Round, 31–29. In the loss, Roethlisberger passed for 337 yards, two touchdowns, and three interceptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger finished third in Comeback Player of the Year voting, behind the Patriots' Randy Moss and the Dallas Cowboys' Greg Ellis, who won the award.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Roethlisberger played in his first Pro Bowl in Hawaii.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2008: Second Super Bowl championship
On March 4, 2008, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Roethlisberger agreed to an eight-year, $102 million contract.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Roethlisberger had two years left on his original that he signed after the draft. He stated at the time that he wanted to retire as a Steeler.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 1 against the Houston Texans, Roethlisberger completed 13 of 14 passes for a career-high 92.9 completion percentage (minimum 10 attempts), and finished with 137 yards passing and two touchdown passes in the 38–17 win. Byron Leftwich took over in the fourth quarter when Roethlisberger was on the sideline with a shoulder injury.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next week against the Cleveland Browns, he had the first pass reception of his career: a negative-seven-yard completion to himself after a deflected pass in the second quarter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a 15–6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 3, Roethlisberger was sacked eight times, fumbled twice, threw one interception, and was called for a safety in the fourth quarter. He did not finish the game, as his throwing hand was injured.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 4 against the Baltimore Ravens, the Steelers trailed 13–3 at halftime. Roethlisberger threw a touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes in the third quarter to start a comeback. He completed two passes to Mewelde Moore for 31 yards in overtime, setting up Jeff Reed for the winning 46-yard field goal.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The next week, Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards in the first half—a career-high for one half—and directed the game-winning drive, passing for an eight-yard touchdown to Hines Ward to defeat the Jacksonville Jaguars by a score of 26–21.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week and the FedEx Air Player of the Week for his performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger had one of the worst performances of his career in a Week 9 23–6 win over the Washington Redskins, posting career lows in passer rating (15.1), completions (5), passing yards (50), yards per attempt (2.94) and completion percentage (29.4%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 13 at New England, in consistent rain, Roethlisberger completed 17 of 33 passes for 179 yards, two touchdowns, and one interception. After falling behind, 10–3, in the second quarter, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to 30 unanswered points in a 33–10 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Against the Dallas Cowboys in Week 14, Roethlisberger had his 49th victory as a starting quarterback, breaking the record for the most wins by a quarterback in their first five NFL seasons.<ref name="dallasnews.com">Template:Cite web</ref> The Steelers clinched the AFC North in Week 15 with a win over the Baltimore Ravens,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and with a loss to the Tennessee Titans the following week clinched the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The Steelers defeated the San Diego Chargers in the Divisional Round and the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship en route to the Super Bowl.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals, Roethlisberger led the Steelers to one of the most dramatic victories in Super Bowl history. On the first two offensive drives, Roethlisberger passed for 122 yards on seven of eight passing attempts, which was one yard shy of his total amount from his first Super Bowl start. The Steelers led, 10–0, and went into halftime up, 17–7. The lead grew to 20–7 before Arizona mounted a comeback. Trailing for the first time in the game, 23–20, with 2:30 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger took the field to start the winning drive. After a holding penalty on the first play, Roethlisberger marched the Steelers 88 yards in eight plays, connecting with the game's MVP, Santonio Holmes, four times for 73 yards on the drive, including the six-yard touchdown pass that put the Steelers ahead with 0:35 remaining.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> After a LaMarr Woodley strip sack and a fumble recovery by Brett Keisel, Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense went back on the field to kneel the ball and run the clock out, ensuring Pittsburgh's victory. Overall, Roethlisberger finished 21 of 30 for 256 yards, one touchdown, and one interception. He had a passer rating of 93.2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2009
Template:See also In Week 3 against the Cincinnati Bengals, the Steelers were dominant in the first half and led, 20–9, in the fourth quarter, but the defense surrendered the lead with 14 seconds left. Roethlisberger got the ball back with two seconds remaining and his Hail Mary attempt was incomplete. It was his first NFL loss in the state of Ohio, snapping an 11–0 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He improved his record of 10–0 against the Cleveland Browns by throwing for 417 yards and 2 touchdowns in Week 6.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 11 against the Kansas City Chiefs, he had thrown for 398 yards and three touchdowns before leaving the game in overtime after taking a knee to the helmet on a scramble attempt.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He suffered the fourth concussion of his NFL career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After sitting out the overtime loss in Week 12 at Baltimore, Roethlisberger started against the Oakland Raiders in Week 13 and passed for 278 yards and two touchdown passes. He threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Hines Ward with 1:56 remaining, only to have the Raiders answer back with a winning touchdown with nine seconds left. The Steelers could not hold three leads in the fourth quarter. They led 10–6, 17–13 and 24–20. It was the fifth loss of the season in which they surrendered the lead in the final quarter.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On a frigid Thursday night in Cleveland in Week 14, Roethlisberger was sacked 8 times and did not lead a touchdown drive in his first career loss to Cleveland, ending a perfect 10–0 record against the rival Browns. It is the first time he lost four straight starts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 15 against the Green Bay Packers, Roethlisberger broke several franchise passing records in ending the five-game losing streak for the Steelers with the biggest passing day in franchise history. His first pass of the day was a 60-yard touchdown to Mike Wallace, and his last pass was a game-winning 19-yard touchdown to Wallace on the final play of the game. He passed for 503 yards, three touchdowns, and had no turnovers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He broke Terry Bradshaw's single-season record of 3,724 passing yards, and set a new mark for single-season completions (302). After leading a FG drive to take a 30–28 lead, the defense again surrendered the lead and the Steelers trailed, 36–30. Roethlisberger used all 2:01 he had left to drive the team 86 yards for the winning touchdown with no time remaining.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was named AFC Player of the Week for his effort; the fifth time he has won that award in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 16 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger's 259-yard effort helped him become the first quarterback in franchise history to pass for over 4,000 yards in a single season. With the game tied at 20 in the final quarter, he led the Steelers on the game-winning field goal drive as they improved to 8–7.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger finished the season with 4,328 yards and 26 touchdown passes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was 9–6 as a starter and his 100.5 passer rating was the second time in his career he had a season with a rating over 100. He was sacked 50 times in 2009. Despite the three game win streak to end the season, the Steelers did not make the playoffs after tie-breakers eliminated them. Roethlisberger was voted as team MVP by the Steelers for the first time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was selected as the first alternate to the Pro Bowl, but declined the invitation to rest his right shoulder which was injured in the Miami game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2010: Third Super Bowl appearance
Template:See also In Week 6 against the Cleveland Browns, after being suspended for the first four games of the season under the NFL player conduct policy, Roethlisberger returned to the Steelers. In his first game of the season he completed 16 of 27 passes for 258 yards, three touchdowns, and one interception.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 7 against the Miami Dolphins, with the Steelers trailing, 22–20, with 2:37 remaining in the game, Roethlisberger was at the center of controversy when he ran a QB draw and dove for the end zone, appearing to score a touchdown in the process. The play was ruled a touchdown on the field, but reviews showed Roethlisberger had fumbled short of the end zone. However, the review failed to provide conclusive evidence as to who recovered the ball after the fumble. By rule, possession was given to Pittsburgh, resulting in the game-winning field goal. Roethlisberger passed for 302 yards and 2 touchdowns in the game. "Just a bizarre kind of play. You hate to win it that way, but you'll take a win," Roethlisberger said.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 8 against the New Orleans Saints, Roethlisberger, playing in his 90th regular season game, reached the 20,000-yard passing mark, but failed to throw a touchdown pass as the Steelers lost on Halloween night in the Superdome.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger improved to 8–2 as a starter on Monday Night Football in Week 9 against the Cincinnati Bengals, and 63–27 over his first 90 regular season starts (tied with Jim McMahon for third-highest win percentage through a player's first 90 starts).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger passed for a season-high 387 yards and 3 touchdowns in the Week 10, 39–26 loss, to the New England Patriots, but also had an interception returned for a score and was sacked five times as he tried to rally the Steelers from a 23–3 deficit in the second half.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In his first win over the Oakland Raiders in Week 11, Roethlisberger passed for 275 yards and three touchdowns, and rushed for a career-high 55 yards and a<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> touchdown. Celebrating a second-quarter touchdown pass, Roethlisberger was punched in the face by Raiders' defensive lineman Richard Seymour, who was then ejected.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was questionable to start the Week 13 game against the Baltimore Ravens with a foot injury, but did start the game and suffered a broken nose on the first series after a hit to the face from Haloti Ngata. Trailing 10–6 in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a go-ahead touchdown pass to Isaac Redman with 2:51 remaining and the Steelers held on for the 13–10 win as he finished with 253 yards passing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, the Steelers clinched the AFC North and the #2 seed in the AFC playoffs. In the 41–9 victory, he finished with 280 passing yards and two touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished the season with a 9–3 record in 12 starts, passing for 3,200 yards, 17 touchdowns and a career-low five interceptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Late in the first quarter of the AFC Divisional Round against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger was sacked and fumbled the ball, and after both teams thought the pass was incomplete, it was eventually picked up by Cory Redding for a Baltimore touchdown. The Steelers trailed, 21–7, in the third quarter before Roethlisberger completed touchdown passes to Heath Miller and Hines Ward to tie the game at 21. With just over two minutes left, the game was tied, 24–24, and the Steelers faced a 3rd and 19. Roethlisberger completed a deep pass to rookie wide receiver Antonio Brown for 58 yards and Rashard Mendenhall's rushing touchdown put the Steelers ahead for good, 31–24, with 1:33 left. It was Roethlisberger's third game-winning drive in a playoff game. He finished with 19 completions on 32 attempts for 226 yards and 2 touchdown passes.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the AFC Championship against the New York Jets, Roethlisberger rushed for a touchdown in the first half as the Steelers built a 24–0 lead, before the Jets scored 19 unanswered points. With two minutes remaining in the game, Roethlsiberger faced a 3rd and 6. He scrambled right and completed a 14-yard pass to Antonio Brown to seal the victory for Pittsburgh, sending them to their third Super Bowl appearance in the last six seasons. Roethlisberger completed 10 of 19 passes for a season-low 133 yards and two interceptions in the 28–21 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers, Roethlisberger was hit as he attempted a pass to Mike Wallace in the first quarter, and it was intercepted for a touchdown by Nick Collins. The Steelers trailed, 21–3, in the second quarter before Roethlisberger completed a touchdown pass to Hines Ward to make it 21–10 at halftime. The Steelers closed to within 21–17 in the third quarter, but were unable to score on their next three drives. After falling behind, 28–17, in the fourth quarter, Roethlisberger threw a 25-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace, and then pitched the ball to Antwaan Randle El on an option run for the two-point conversion to make it 28–25. Taking over at his own 13 with 1:59 left and down 31–25, Roethlisberger was unable to lead the game-winning drive against Green Bay this time after his pass fell incomplete to Wallace on 4th and 5 at his own 33-yard line, ensuring the only Super Bowl loss of his career. Roethlisberger finished the 31–25 loss 25 of 40 for 263 yards, 2 touchdowns and 2 interceptions. "I feel like I let the city of Pittsburgh down, the fans, my coaches and my teammates," Roethlisberger said, "and it's not a good feeling."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the off-season, he was ranked 41st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2011
.jpg){kind=link}
In Week 1 against the Baltimore Ravens, Roethlisberger set career-worsts for turnovers (5) and largest margin of defeat (28) in his first loss against the Ravens since 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, he became the fourth quarterback to reach 70 wins in his first 100 starts, as he threw for 298 yards and did not turn the ball over. He took a shot to his right knee in the second quarter, but returned after missing two plays to finish the game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In a 23–20 Week 3 win against the Indianapolis Colts, Roethlisberger threw for a career-high 171 yards in the first quarter, turned the ball over three times in the second quarter, then led the Steelers to the 20th fourth quarter comeback of his career, passing Terry Bradshaw for the most in Steelers' history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 5 against the Tennessee Titans, Roethlisberger threw five touchdown passes for the second time in his career. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week honors for the seventh time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 7 against the Arizona Cardinals, Roethlisberger set the franchise record for longest pass with a 95-yard touchdown pass to Mike Wallace. He finished with 361 yards and 3 touchdowns in his first regular season win over the Cardinals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger beat the Tom Brady-led Patriots for the first time in seven years in Week 8, completing 36 of 50 passes for 365 yards and 2 touchdowns.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was named AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the eighth time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 12 against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger's career-best streak of 18 consecutive games with 200+ yards passing came to an end as he finished with 193.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 13 against the Cincinnati Bengals, Roethlisberger moved past Terry Bradshaw in the Steelers' record books; first for most times sacked, then for most pass completions in team history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the second quarter of the Week 14 game against the Cleveland Browns, Roethlisberger's leg was injured on a sack and he left the game. He returned for the second half and played the rest of the game, despite limping on his high-ankle sprain. He threw a game-clinching 79-yard touchdown pass to Antonio Brown late in the fourth quarter as the Steelers won 14–3. Roethlisberger finished with 280 yards passing on just 21 attempts for a career-high 13.33 YPA (min. 15 attempts).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On the injury, Roethlisberger said, "It was one of the most painful things I ever felt. It felt like the middle of my leg was just, cracked ... it felt like my foot was outside of my leg."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 15 against the San Francisco 49ers, Roethlisberger started the game while suffering through a high-ankle sprain. During the game, it was clear that Roethlisberger was still showing signs of the injury due to him limping between plays. He finished the game without any touchdowns but had 330 yards passing while throwing three interceptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Because of Roethlisberger's leg injury from Week 14, the team opted to sit him and start Charlie Batch in the Week 16 game against the St. Louis Rams, giving Roethlisberger more time to recover.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In Week 17 against the Cleveland Browns, just three weeks after the Browns injured Roethlisberger in Pittsburgh, Roethlisberger once again took the field to face the same opponents in their home stadium. The Steelers opted to start Roethlisberger over Batch because of the possibility that Baltimore could drop its final game, and a win by the Steelers would take back the division title. Despite his injury, Mike Tomlin and the coaching staff believed Roethlisberger gave them their best chance at victory. Big Ben completed 23 of 40 passes for 221 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions. Baltimore went on to win their final game and secured the division title, leaving Steelers with the number 5 seed to face Denver in the Wild Card round of the playoffs.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the Wild Card Round against the Denver Broncos, Roethlisberger and the Steelers offense battled a tough Denver defense, trailing 20–6 at the half but tying it at 23–23 before the end of regulation. The game-tying touchdown came on a 2nd and 10 with 3:47 remaining in regulation, in which Big Ben made a vintage play eluding pass rushers before connecting with Jerricho Cotchery on a 31-yard pass. Despite the heroic efforts of Roethlisberger and company, Tim Tebow's magical season continued with his best single-game performance to date, capped off with an 80-yard completion to Demaryius Thomas to end overtime after one play. Roethlisberger completed 22 of 40 passes for 289 yards, with 1 touchdown and 1 interception in the 29–23 overtime loss to end the 2011 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was named to the Pro Bowl for the 2011 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished ranked 30th by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2012.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2012
Roethlisberger threw for 3,265 yards, 26 touchdowns, and 8 interceptions in thirteen games as the Steelers finished the 2012 season with an 8–8 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> One of his best individual games in the 2012 season came against the Oakland Raiders in Week 3. He had 384 passing yards and four touchdowns in the 34–31 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He missed three games due to injury, being replaced by Byron Leftwich, who went 0–1, and Charlie Batch, who went 1–1. It was the Steelers first season missing the playoffs since 2009 and their first with a non-winning record since 2006.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He finished ranked 61st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2013.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2012, Roethlisberger returned to Miami University to complete his college degree, graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Education on May 6, 2012. Roethlisberger walked with the other graduates at the commencement ceremony, with his parents, grandmother, and wife Ashley in attendance.<ref name="Graduation">Template:Cite web</ref> He had planned on finishing his degree sooner, but the Steelers having deep playoff runs earlier in his career prevented him from registering for classes in time for the winter term, only being able to do it after the Steelers were eliminated in the Wild Card round against the Denver Broncos the previous season.<ref name="Graduation" /> Roethlisberger became the second member of the Steelers in less than a year to return to college and complete his degree, with teammate Polamalu doing the same thing the previous off-season during the 2011 NFL lockout.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2013
Template:See also Roethlisberger threw for 4,261 yards and 28 touchdowns in 16 games in 2013 as the Steelers finished the season with an 8–8 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 11, in a 37–27 victory over the Detroit Lions, he had 367 passing yards and four touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The Steelers would go on to miss the playoffs after the San Diego Chargers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 27–24 in overtime in Week 17.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> This would also be the first time they missed the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since 1999 and the first time under Mike Tomlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was ranked 31st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
This season was particularly notable for Roethlisberger as it marked the beginning of the Killer B's era. Roethlisberger, along with wide receiver Antonio Brown, running back Le'Veon Bell and, later, kicker Chris Boswell all entered their primes.<ref name="d219">Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger finished the season seventh in passing yards, eighth in touchdowns, 10th in completion percentage and his 92.0 passer rating ranked 12th in the league for the 2013 season.<ref name="k705">Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger targeted Brown in particular 165 times, resulting in 110 receptions for 1,499 yards and 8 touchdowns. This accounted for approximately 28% of Roethlisberger's 584 pass attempts that season.<ref name="x395">Template:Cite web</ref> Even though he was not a receiver and mainly fulfilled the role of being a "power back" in the Steelers' offense, Roethlisberger targeted Bell 66 times, resulting in 45 receptions for 399 yards but recording no receiving touchdowns.<ref name="g429">Template:Cite web</ref>
2014
Template:See also Roesthilsberger started the 2014 season with a 4–3 record in the first seven games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On October 26, 2014, against the Indianapolis Colts, Roethlisberger completed 40 of 49 passes for a career-high 522 yards and six touchdowns as the Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 51–34.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With the win, Roethlisberger became just the fourth quarterback in NFL history to get 100 wins in his first 150 starts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He also became the first NFL quarterback to pass for over 500 yards twice in a career. He earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his effort against the Colts.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the next game, a 43–23 victory over the Baltimore Ravens, he had 340 passing yards and six passing touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In the Steelers Week 15 matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, Roethlisberger completed 27 of 35 passes for 360 yards in a 27–20 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The victory made Roethlisberger only the sixth quarterback in NFL history to have defeated at least 31 different teams, joining Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Kerry Collins, Brett Favre, and Peyton Manning; Roethlisberger has only played with one team and thus has not played against the Steelers. The Steelers lost 41–38 in Roethlisberger's only other matchup against Atlanta in 2006, and he was suspended for the Steelers 15–9 overtime victory against the Falcons in 2010.<ref name="31 teams" />
During 2014, Roethlisberger passed for career highs in yards with 4,952, completion percentage with 67.1, completions with 408, and attempts with 608. Roethlisberger also matched his career high in passing touchdowns with 32, as well as posting a passer rating of 103.3, the second highest of his career. His 4,952 yards were tied for most on the season with Drew Brees, but Roethlisberger reached the mark with fewer completions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Steelers had an 11–5 record and finished first in the AFC North.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They lost in the Wild Card Round of the playoffs against the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 30–17.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was named to his third career Pro Bowl for the 2014 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was ranked 26th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2015.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2015
On March 13, Roethlisberger signed a five-year contract extension with the Steelers.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger went 26 for 38 for 351 yards, one touchdown pass and one interception during a 28–21 loss against the New England Patriots to kick off the 2015 NFL season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, Roethlisberger and the Steelers won their next two games against the San Francisco 49ers and the St. Louis Rams.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the 43–18 victory over the 49ers, he had 369 passing yards and three touchdowns to earn AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During the September 27 game against the St. Louis Rams, Roethlisberger suffered a sprained MCL and a bone bruise.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger missed the Steelers' next four games, during which Michael Vick and Landry Jones combined to go 2–2.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger sustained another injury against the Oakland Raiders on November 8, 2015, suffering a left mid-foot sprain.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Due to this injury, he did not start the following week against the Cleveland Browns, although he was listed as active for the game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, early in the first quarter, Landry Jones sprained his left ankle, resulting in Roethlisberger entering the game in relief for only the second time in his career. Roethlisberger threw for 379 yards and three touchdowns on the way to a Steelers win and an AFC Offensive Player of the Week award;<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> his 379 passing yards were the most by a quarterback in relief since Don Strock threw for 403 yards for the Miami Dolphins against the San Diego Chargers in the Epic in Miami playoff game in 1982.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 29, Roethlisberger threw for 456 yards against the Seattle Seahawks, but he also threw two interceptions, and the Seahawks took a 39–30 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Steelers clinched a playoff spot with a 10–6 record, finishing second in the AFC North behind the Cincinnati Bengals. They defeated the Bengals by a score of 18–16 in the Wild Card Round, but lost to the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos in the Divisional Round by a score of 23–16.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was named to his fourth career Pro Bowl and was ranked 21st by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2016
Roethlisberger started off the 2016 season with a 2–1 record in the first three games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He had back-to-back 300-yard passing performances against the Kansas City Chiefs and New York Jets in Weeks 4–5, and combined for nine touchdowns in that span.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> For his effort against the Chiefs, he earned AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the following week on the road against the Miami Dolphins, Roethlisberger left the game after suffering a knee injury. He underwent surgery on October 17 for a torn meniscus and missed the following week against the New England Patriots.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> The Steelers made the playoffs, winning the AFC North with an 11–5 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> They defeated the Miami Dolphins by a score of 30–12 in the Wild Card Round and beat the Chiefs 18–16 in the Divisional Round.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> However, the Steelers lost 36–17 to the Patriots in the AFC Championship. He passed for 314 passing yards, one passing touchdown, and one interception.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger was named to his third consecutive and fifth career Pro Bowl on December 20, 2016,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was ranked 22nd on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017, just one spot below his ranking from the previous year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2017
Template:See also Roethlisberger helped lead the Steelers to a 3–1 record to start to the 2017 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 5 against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Roethlisberger threw a career-high five interceptions as the Steelers lost by a score of 30–9.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 11 against the Tennessee Titans, he completed 30 of 45 passes for 299 yards and four touchdowns as the Steelers won 40–17.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In that game, Roethlisberger recorded his 4,000th career completion on a three-yard pass to tight end Jesse James.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On December 4, Roethlisberger became the eighth quarterback to reach 50,000 career passing yards in a game against the Cincinnati Bengals.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 14 against the Baltimore Ravens, he completed 44 of 66 passes (both single-game career highs) for 506 yards and two touchdowns in a 39–38 win, becoming the first player in NFL history with three career 500-yard passing games. With the win, the Steelers clinched a playoff berth and the AFC North title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His 44 completions set an NFL record for the most completions in a non-overtime game and were the second most in NFL history behind Drew Bledsoe's 45 completions in 1994.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His performance in Week 14 earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
During Week 15 against the New England Patriots, Roethlisberger finished with 281 passing yards, two touchdowns, and an interception.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the closing seconds of the fourth quarter, two controversial moments occurred; Roethlisberger threw a potential game-winning touchdown to tight end Jesse James, but was overturned after James seemingly lost control when the ball touched the ground. Two plays later, Roethlisberger faked a spike to pass, which was intercepted by Duron Harmon, resulting in the Steelers losing 24–27.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On December 19, 2017, Roethlisberger was named to his fourth consecutive and sixth career Pro Bowl along with his star receiver Antonio Brown and three of his starting offensive lineman among others.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The Steelers finished the 2017 season with a 13–3 record, clinching the AFC North division.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the AFC Divisional Round, the Steelers faced the Jaguars. Although the Jaguars had the #1 passing defense in 2017, Roethlisberger finished with a playoff career-high 469 passing yards, five touchdowns, and an interception, but the Steelers lost 42–45.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He was ranked 18th by his fellow players on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2018
Roethlisberger started the 2018 season with 335 passing yards, one touchdown, and three interceptions in a 21–21 tie against the Cleveland Browns.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In Week 2, in a 42–37 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger passed for 452 yards, three touchdowns, and had a rushing touchdown.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He became the third player since 1950 with at least 450 passing yards, three passing touchdowns, and a rushing touchdown in the same game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He passed John Elway for seventh-most passing yards in NFL history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 3, Roethlisberger completed 79% of his passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns in a 30–27 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, earning him AFC Offensive Player of the Week.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 10 against the Carolina Panthers, Roethlisberger had more touchdowns than incompletions on a statline of 22-of-25 for 328 yards and five touchdowns in his NFL-record fourth game with a perfect quarterback rating.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> His performance in Week 10 earned him AFC Offensive Player of the Week for the second time in 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In a Week 12 loss to the Denver Broncos, he passed for a season-high 462 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 16, a 31–28 loss to the New Orleans Saints, he passed for 380 yards and three touchdowns in a loss that hurt their playoff chances.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Despite a win in Week 17, the Steelers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013, finishing second in the AFC North with a 9–6–1 record.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger led the league in passing yards (5,129) for the second time in his career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He led the league in completions (452), attempts (675) and interceptions (16). His 5,129 passing yards and 34 touchdown passes set franchise records, both of which were held by Roethlisberger in his 2014 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2019
Template:See also On April 24, 2019, Roethlisberger signed a two-year contract extension with the Steelers worth $68 million with a $37.5 million signing bonus, keeping him under contract through the 2021 season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 2 against the Seattle Seahawks, Roethlisberger injured his right elbow and was unable to play in the second half of the game. His backup Mason Rudolph relieved him as the Steelers lost 28–26.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Subsequently, the team announced the following day that Roethlisberger would be placed on the season ending injured-reserve list after undergoing surgery on his injured elbow.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> After the season, it was revealed that Roethlisberger's injury was much more serious than originally anticipated, as he tore off three flexor tendons from his throwing arm, and he is believed to be the first quarterback to attempt a comeback from such an injury.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2020
Roethlisberger made his return from injury in the Week 1 game against the New York Giants, where he threw for 229 yards and three touchdowns in the 26–16 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 3 against the Houston Texans, Roethlisberger threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns during the 28–21 win. During the game, Roethlisberger broke Mike Webster's record for the most games played with the Steelers with 221 games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 5 against the Philadelphia Eagles, Roethlisberger threw for 239 yards and three touchdowns, all to Chase Claypool, during the 38–29 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> With the victory, he helped lead the Steelers to their first 4–0 start since 1979.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 9 against the Dallas Cowboys, Roethlisberger threw for 306 yards and three touchdowns during the 24–19 win.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The victory over the Cowboys marked an 8–0 start to the season for the Steelers, the best in franchise history.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On November 10, 2020, Roethlisberger was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 after being deemed high risk due to Vance McDonald contracting COVID-19<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but was activated four days later.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 10, against the Cincinnati Bengals, he had 333 passing yards and four passing touchdowns in the 36–10 victory.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week for his performance.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In Week 13 against the Washington Football Team, Roethlisberger threw for 305 yards, two touchdowns and an interception during the 23–17 loss. This was the Steelers' first loss of the season.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger finished the 2020 season with 3,803 passing yards, 33 touchdowns, and ten interceptions as the Steelers finished 12–4 with an AFC North title.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Against the Cleveland Browns in the Wild Card Round, Roethlisberger completed 47 out of 68 pass attempts for 501 yards and four touchdowns, but threw four interceptions in a 48–37 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger's 47 pass competitions set an NFL record for most completions in a game (passing Drew Bledsoe and Jared Goff's record of 45 passes)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> while also throwing for the second most passing yards ever in a playoff game.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
2021
_(cropped).jpg){kind=link}
Roethlisberger signed a renegotiated contract with the Steelers on March 4, 2021, that saw him take a $5 million pay cut.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger began his final season with a Week 1 victory over the Buffalo Bills. He scored his first touchdown of the season with a five yard pass to Diontae Johnson. It would be his only score of the game as he completed 18-of-32 passes for 188 yards and not committing any turnovers.<ref name="w425">Template:Cite web</ref> Despite losing 24–10 to division rivals, the Cincinnati Bengals, Roethlisberger threw for a season high 318 yards, completed 38 out of 58 pass attempts and threw one touchdown pass against two interceptions. During October 10's 27–19 win over the Denver Broncos, Roethlisberger had his first multiple touchdown game of the year, opening the game with a 50 yard touchdown pass to Johnson and an 18 yard pass to Chase Claypool.<ref name="a608">Template:Cite web</ref> This kickstarted a four game win streak for the Steelers. Across those four games, Roethlisberger threw for six touchdowns, committed no turnovers and completed 67%, (87 out of 129) pass attempts for 953 yards.<ref name="p331">Template:Cite web</ref> The Steelers' streak was halted when, a day before the Week 10 game against the Detroit Lions, the Steelers placed Roethlisberger on Reserve/COVID-19 list after testing positive for the virus.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He returned for November 21's 41–37 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers in which he threw for 273 yards and three touchdowns.
Roethlisberger played his final game at Heinz Field on January 3, 2022. Leading up to his final game, Roethlisberger's career was memorialized with ESPN hosting a countdown tribute.<ref name="k774">Template:Cite web</ref> In his final home game, Roethlisberger threw for 123 yards, a touchdown and an interception, leading the team to a 26–14 victory over the Cleveland Browns and eliminating them from playoff contention.<ref name="f705">Template:Cite web</ref> With his helmet still on, in full uniform, Roethlisberger gave an emotional interview after the game and was the last player to leave the field. This win officially cemented Roethlisberger with 164 career wins as a starter, which was the fifth-most in NFL history at the time and ending his record at Heinz Field with a win-loss record of 92–31, the fourth most home victories a quarterback has ever had with a single team in NFL history.<ref name="d016">Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger finished the 2021 regular season with 3,740 passing yards, 22 touchdowns, and ten interceptions, and also had an additional rushing touchdown as the Steelers finished with a 9–7–1 record, earning a spot in the Wild card round as the seven seed.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In the Wild Card Round against the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger threw for 215 yards and two touchdowns in the 42–21 loss.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Retirement
On January 27, 2022, Roethlisberger announced his retirement from the NFL.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
After Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady unretired in March of that year, some wondered if Roethlisberger would also come back for another season. Roethlisberger was quick to silence those questions when he told WDVE in Pittsburgh, "First off, my coach and GM don't want me back. Second off, I'm pretty content with where I'm at."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In March 2023, Roethlisberger revealed to Mark Madden however that the San Francisco 49ers did show some interest after suffering injuries with Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo left Brock Purdy as the starting quarterback, but Roethlisberger declined.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In February 2025, Roethlisberger mentioned on the Nate Bargatze podcast that the New York Jets reached out to him in 2023 after Aaron Rodgers tore his Achilles tendon, which he promptly declined.<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Although the Steelers generally do not retire jersey numbers, having only retired the numbers of Joe Greene and Franco Harris (both from the Steelers dynasty years of the 1970s) since the team lifted its decades-long ban on retiring numbers in 2014 (with Ernie Stautner being the only other player with his number retired), the team has not reissued Roethlisberger's number 7 since his retirement.<ref name="z051">Template:Cite web</ref> It is generally understood that no Steeler will ever wear number 7 again.
Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger
On September 2, 2022, Roethlisberger began the podcast Footbahlin with Ben Roethlisberger on his Channel 7 YouTube channel.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Co-hosted by Pittsburgh-based musician and producer Spencer Te'o,<ref name="e122">Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger and Te'o started the first several episodes mainly discussing Roethlisberger's life after retirement, stories from his tenure with the Steelers and beer tasting. The show eventually evolved into having guest interviews with current and former players and coaches such as Kenny Pickett, Jerome Bettis, Bill Cowher and Mike Tomlin.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> During the 2023 season, the show began to incorporate Roethlisberger and Te'o watching various Steeler games and providing commentary.
The final episode was uploaded on December 25, 2023, with an episode about the Steelers' victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Christmas Eve.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In an interview with WDVE in 2024, Roethlisberger claimed that the podcast would not continue. Despite this announcement, Roethlisberger uploaded a surprise teaser for another season of the podcast on August 29, 2024, to begin the following week. Beginning with the new season, Roethlisberger and Te'o began inviting a variety of guests not just limited to Steelers players. This includes guests such as comedian Nate Bargatze<ref name="z561">Template:Cite web</ref> and musician Bart Millard of MercyMe.<ref name="p381">Template:Cite web</ref>
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Won the Super Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | ||
| 2004 | PIT | 14 | 13 | 13–0 | 196 | 295 | 66.4 | 2,621 | 8.9 | 58 | 17 | 11 | 98.1 | 56 | 144 | 2.6 | 20 | 1 | 30 | 213 | 2 | 2 |
| 2005 | PIT | 12 | 12 | 9–3 | 168 | 268 | 62.7 | 2,385 | 8.9 | 85 | 17 | 9 | 98.6 | 31 | 69 | 2.2 | 13 | 3 | 23 | 129 | 2 | 1 |
| 2006 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 7–8 | 280 | 469 | 59.7 | 3,513 | 7.5 | 67 | 18 | 23 | 75.4 | 32 | 98 | 3.1 | 20 | 2 | 46 | 280 | 5 | 2 |
| 2007 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 10–5 | 264 | 404 | 65.3 | 3,154 | 7.8 | 83 | 32 | 11 | 104.1 | 35 | 204 | 5.8 | 30T | 2 | 47 | 347 | 9 | 3 |
| 2008 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 12–4 | 281 | 469 | 59.9 | 3,301 | 7.0 | 65 | 17 | 15 | 80.1 | 34 | 101 | 3.0 | 17 | 2 | 46 | 284 | 14 | 7 |
| 2009 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 9–6 | 337 | 506 | 66.6 | 4,328 | 8.6 | 60 | 26 | 12 | 100.5 | 40 | 82 | 2.1 | 15 | 2 | 50 | 348 | 7 | 3 |
| 2010 | PIT | 12 | 12 | 9–3 | 240 | 389 | 61.7 | 3,200 | 8.2 | 56 | 17 | 5 | 97.0 | 34 | 176 | 5.2 | 31 | 2 | 32 | 220 | 7 | 3 |
| 2011 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 11–4 | 324 | 513 | 63.2 | 4,077 | 7.9 | 95 | 21 | 14 | 90.1 | 31 | 70 | 2.3 | 11 | 0 | 40 | 269 | 8 | 5 |
| 2012 | PIT | 13 | 13 | 7–6 | 284 | 449 | 63.3 | 3,265 | 7.3 | 82 | 26 | 8 | 97.0 | 26 | 92 | 3.5 | 14 | 0 | 30 | 182 | 6 | 3 |
| 2013 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 8–8 | 375 | 584 | 64.2 | 4,261 | 7.3 | 67 | 28 | 14 | 92.0 | 27 | 99 | 3.7 | 19 | 1 | 42 | 282 | 9 | 6 |
| 2014 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 11–5 | 408 | 608 | 67.1 | 4,952 | 8.1 | 94 | 32 | 9 | 103.3 | 33 | 27 | 0.8 | 8 | 0 | 33 | 172 | 9 | 5 |
| 2015 | PIT | 12 | 11 | 7–4 | 319 | 469 | 68.0 | 3,938 | 8.4 | 69 | 21 | 16 | 94.5 | 15 | 29 | 1.9 | 13 | 0 | 20 | 141 | 2 | 0 |
| 2016 | PIT | 14 | 14 | 10–4 | 328 | 509 | 64.4 | 3,819 | 7.5 | 72 | 29 | 13 | 95.4 | 16 | 14 | 0.9 | 14 | 1 | 17 | 141 | 8 | 2 |
| 2017 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 12–3 | 360 | 561 | 64.2 | 4,251 | 7.6 | 97 | 28 | 14 | 93.4 | 28 | 47 | 1.7 | 14 | 0 | 21 | 139 | 3 | 1 |
| 2018 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 9–6–1 | 452 | 675 | 67.0 | 5,129 | 7.6 | 97 | 34 | 16 | 96.5 | 31 | 98 | 3.2 | 18 | 3 | 24 | 166 | 7 | 2 |
| 2019 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 0–2 | 35 | 62 | 56.5 | 351 | 5.7 | 45 | 0 | 1 | 66.0 | 1 | 7 | 7.0 | 7 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | PIT | 15 | 15 | 12–3 | 399 | 608 | 65.6 | 3,803 | 6.3 | 84 | 33 | 10 | 94.1 | 25 | 11 | 0.4 | 11 | 0 | 13 | 118 | 5 | 1 |
| 2021 | PIT | 16 | 16 | 9–7 | 390 | 605 | 64.5 | 3,740 | 6.2 | 59 | 22 | 10 | 86.8 | 20 | 5 | 0.3 | 8 | 1 | 38 | 239 | 11 | 5 |
| Career | 249 | 247 | 165–81–1 | 5,440 | 8,443 | 64.4 | 64,088 | 7.6 | 97 | 418 | 211 | 93.5 | 515 | 1,373 | 2.7 | 31 | 20 | 554 | 3,677 | 115 | 51 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Passing | Rushing | Sacked | Fumbles | ||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | ||
| 2004 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 31 | 54 | 57.4 | 407 | 7.5 | 34 | 3 | 5 | 61.3 | 9 | 75 | 8.3 | 20 | 0 | 2 | 11 | 1 | 0 |
| 2005 | PIT | 4 | 4 | 4–0 | 58 | 93 | 62.4 | 803 | 8.6 | 54 | 7 | 3 | 101.7 | 19 | 37 | 1.9 | 10 | 2 | 6 | 35 | 0 | 0 |
| 2007 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 29 | 42 | 69.0 | 337 | 8.0 | 37 | 2 | 3 | 79.2 | 4 | 13 | 3.3 | 6 | 0 | 6 | 40 | 1 | 1 |
| 2008 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 3–0 | 54 | 89 | 60.7 | 692 | 7.8 | 65 | 3 | 1 | 91.6 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 4 | 0 | 8 | 58 | 0 | 0 |
| 2010 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 2–1 | 54 | 91 | 59.3 | 622 | 6.8 | 58 | 4 | 4 | 76.4 | 21 | 63 | 3.0 | 18 | 1 | 9 | 48 | 3 | 1 |
| 2011 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 22 | 40 | 55.0 | 289 | 7.2 | 33 | 1 | 1 | 75.9 | 3 | 15 | 5.0 | 9 | 0 | 5 | 45 | 1 | 0 |
| 2014 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 31 | 45 | 68.9 | 334 | 7.4 | 44 | 1 | 2 | 79.3 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 16 | 0 | 5 | 37 | 0 | 0 |
| 2015 | PIT | 2 | 2 | 1–1 | 42 | 68 | 61.8 | 568 | 8.4 | 60 | 1 | 0 | 93.3 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 55 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | PIT | 3 | 3 | 2–1 | 64 | 96 | 66.7 | 735 | 7.7 | 62 | 3 | 4 | 82.6 | 8 | 11 | 1.4 | 8 | 0 | 2 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 37 | 58 | 63.8 | 469 | 8.1 | 43 | 5 | 1 | 110.5 | 2 | 16 | 8.0 | 15 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 1 |
| 2020 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 47 | 68 | 69.1 | 501 | 7.4 | 33 | 4 | 4 | 85.5 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | PIT | 1 | 1 | 0–1 | 29 | 44 | 65.9 | 215 | 4.9 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 92.5 | 2 | −1 | −0.5 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 14 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 23 | 23 | 13–10 | 498 | 788 | 63.2 | 5,972 | 7.6 | 65 | 36 | 28 | 86.7 | 76 | 245 | 3.2 | 20 | 3 | 53 | 365 | 8 | 3 | |
Super Bowl
| Season | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Passing | Rushing | Result | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | Template:Abbr | ||||
| 2005 | XL | SEA | 9 | 21 | 42.9 | 123 | 5.9 | 0 | 2 | 22.6 | 7 | 25 | 3.6 | 1 | W 21–10 |
| 2008 | XLIII | ARI | 21 | 30 | 70.0 | 256 | 8.5 | 1 | 1 | 93.2 | 3 | 2 | 0.7 | 0 | W 27−23 |
| 2010 | XLV | GB | 25 | 40 | 62.5 | 263 | 6.6 | 2 | 2 | 77.4 | 4 | 31 | 7.8 | 0 | L 31-25 |
| Total | 55 | 91 | 60.4 | 642 | 7.1 | 3 | 5 | 69.9 | 14 | 58 | 4.1 | 1 | W−L 2−1 | ||
Comebacks/game-winning drives
Roethlisberger set an NFL rookie record in 2004 with five comeback wins in the fourth quarter, and six game-winning drives in the fourth quarter/overtime (including one playoff game).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger has the most comeback wins (19) and game-winning drives (25) through the first seven seasons of a player's career.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is the only quarterback in NFL history to reach 20 comeback wins before the age of 30.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Upon his retirement following the 2021 season, Roethlisberger was tied for the 2nd most game-winning drives of all time (53), and in sole possession of 2nd most game-winning drives including the playoffs (57).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
NFL records
- Regular season wins in a season, rookie quarterback – 13 (2004)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Longest regular season win streak to start a career for an NFL quarterback – 15 games (won all 13 starts in the 2004 season, won first 2 games of the 2005 season)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Youngest starting quarterback to win the Super Bowl (2005; second-youngest QB to play in the Super Bowl, behind Dan Marino)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most career 500+ yard passing games (4)<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
- Most career games with a perfect passer rating: 4 (tied with Peyton Manning and Lamar Jackson)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most games with a perfect passer rating in the same season: 2 (2007; tied)Template:Efn
- Most touchdown passes in consecutive games (12)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Most completions in a playoff or regular season game (47)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Pittsburgh Steelers franchise records
- Career passing yards – 64,088<ref name="career-passing">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Career passing touchdowns – 418<ref name="career-passing" />
- Career interceptions thrown – 211<ref name="career-passing" />
- Career passer rating (Min. 20 attempts) – 93.5<ref name="career-passing" />
- Career completion percentage (Min. 20 attempts)— 64.4%<ref name="career-passing" />
- Longest completion – 97 (October 29, 2017, and November 25, 2018)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Career pass attempts – 8,443<ref name="career-passing" />
- Career pass completions – 5,440<ref name="career-passing" />
- Career 400+ yard passing games – 12<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Career 500+ yard passing games – 4<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Completion percentage, single season – 67.1% (2014)<ref name="pitssl">Template:Cite web</ref>
- Touchdown passes, single season – 34 (2018)<ref name="pitssl" />
- Single season passer rating – 104.1 (2007)<ref name="pitssl" />
- Passing yards in a season – 5,129 (2018)<ref name="pitssl" />
- Pass completions in a season – 452 (2018)<ref name="pitssl" />
- Passing yards in a game – 522 (October 26, 2014)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Pass completions in a game – 44 (December 10, 2017)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
- Touchdown passes, game – 6 (October 26, 2014, and November 2, 2014)<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Charitable works
Roethlisberger started a foundation with the following mission statement: "The Ben Roethlisberger Foundation seeks to (a): provide support for police and fire departments throughout the United States with a particular emphasis on service dogs and (b): to enhance the quality of life for residents of Findlay, Ohio and Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."<ref name="BRF">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2005, Roethlisberger donated one game check to aid the tsunami relief fund.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He has also donated over $100,000 to fund police dogs in Pittsburgh.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In October 2014, Roethlisberger and his wife donated $1 million to his alma mater, Miami University, for an indoor sports center.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Personal life
On July 23, 2011, Roethlisberger married Ashley Harlan, a physician assistant from New Castle, Pennsylvania.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He and his wife have three children.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger is a Christian. Roethlisberger grew up as a Christian but recommitted to his faith in 2017. Roethlisberger has said "Go ahead and be the best athlete you can possibly be, and see if you can be a better Christian. That's what I'm trying to do now. I'm trying to be a better Christian than I am athlete and football player."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger is a spokesman for Swiss Roots, a campaign intended to help Americans of Swiss origin reconnect with their Swiss ancestral heritage.<ref name="autogenerated3">Template:Cite web</ref> In May 2006, Roethlisberger and his family traveled to Switzerland for a week.<ref name="autogenerated3" /><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He has his own line of barbecue sauce, Big Ben's BBQ, and is an investor in tech startups, including neonatal care company, NeoLight.<ref name="techcrunch">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="bigben">Template:Cite web</ref>
Controversy
Motorcycle accident
On June 12, 2006, Roethlisberger was involved in a motorcycle accident near downtown Pittsburgh. He was not wearing a helmet and did not have a valid Pennsylvania motorcycle license at the time, only a temporary permit that had expired in March.<ref name="NoLicense">Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was traveling east on Second Avenue when a car turned in front of him at the South Tenth Street Bridge, causing a collision.<ref name="benbridge">Template:Cite web</ref> According to eyewitnesses, Roethlisberger went over the handlebars of his bike, shattering the windshield of the car with his head.<ref name="benbike">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="ESPNinjury">Template:Cite web</ref> Though initial reports described the injuries as non-life-threatening, Roethlisberger later said paramedics had to stop bleeding in his throat to save his life.<ref name="bencrash">Template:Cite web</ref> He was taken to Mercy Hospital in "serious but stable" condition.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
Roethlisberger suffered significant facial injuries, including fractures to his jaw and sinus cavity, a broken nose, a nine-inch head laceration, the loss of two teeth, and several chipped teeth.<ref name="bensurgery">Template:Cite web</ref> He underwent immediate surgery to repair the damage and was upgraded to fair condition the following day.<ref name=bencrash/><ref name="espn">Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> A subsequent news conference with hospital staff was brief but confirmed early reports that the most serious injuries were to the head and face. He was released from the hospital on June 14 and issued a public apology the next day, in which he also stated, "If I ever ride again, it certainly will be with a helmet."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was allegedly videotaped by KDKA-TV staff riding without a helmet a few months later, but the existence of said tape is disputed.<ref name="hangover">Template:Cite magazine</ref>
Roethlisberger recovered quickly enough to start all three Steelers preseason games later that summer.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On June 19, Pittsburgh police cited him for failure to wear a helmet and operating outside his license class. Under Pennsylvania law, helmets are only optional for riders who have held a motorcycle license for at least two years. The driver of the other vehicle was cited for failure to yield the right of way.<ref name="benhelmet">Template:Cite web</ref>
Sexual assault allegations
Lake Tahoe
In July 2009, Andrea McNulty, 31, filed a civil lawsuit in the Washoe County, Nevada District Court, accusing Roethlisberger of sexually assaulting her in June 2008 at his hotel room in Stateline, Nevada, during a celebrity golf tournament.<ref name="ESPN">Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger was one of nine defendants named in the case, and his attorney denied the allegations.<ref name="SIdefendant">Template:Cite magazine</ref> The lawsuit sought damages from Roethlisberger and additional damages from officials at Harrah's Lake Tahoe, alleging they helped cover up the incident.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The case was settled in December 2011.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
According to McNulty, she was working as an executive casino host at the time when Roethlisberger struck up a friendly conversation with her during the tournament. The following night, she claimed he called her to report a problem with his television's sound system and asked her to check it. McNulty said she found the TV working properly, but as she turned to leave, Roethlisberger allegedly blocked the door, grabbed her, and began kissing her.<ref name="NFLcancel">Template:Cite web</ref> The lawsuit states that she sought hospital treatment after the incident. A second lawsuit filed by another Harrah's employee claimed that the quarterback was friends with a Harrah's executive overseeing operations in northern Nevada.<ref name=hangover /> McNulty's suit alleged that her boss told her, "That guy [Roethlisberger] can have anyone he wants."<ref name=hangover />
In August 2009, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette published an affidavit from Angela Antonetti, McNulty's former co-worker, submitted as part of a motion to move the case to Douglas County, Nevada.<ref name="Antonetti-Post-Gazette">Template:Cite web</ref> Antonetti stated that McNulty had previously bragged about having consensual sex with Roethlisberger, expressed hope of becoming pregnant with a "little Roethlisberger", and had asked her to travel to Pittsburgh in an attempt to "run into" him.<ref name=hangover /><ref name="Antonetti-Post-Gazette" /> Antonetti said she was "absolutely shocked" to hear about the lawsuit and believed the allegations were false.<ref name="Antonetti-Post-Gazette" />
Milledgeville, Georgia
On March 5, 2010, it was revealed that police in Milledgeville, Georgia, investigated Roethlisberger for an alleged sexual assault that occurred inside the women's restroom at the Capital City nightclub. The accuser, a 20-year-old student at nearby Georgia College & State University, had been seen earlier in the evening at several establishments with Roethlisberger, including posing for a photograph with him.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Roethlisberger spoke with police that night, admitting he had contact with the woman but claimed it was not "consummated", and that she later slipped and injured herself.
Roethlisberger hired lawyer Ed Garland, who previously defended Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in his murder trial. The accuser was treated at Oconee Regional Medical Center, where an emergency-room doctor and two nurses reported a "superficial laceration and bruising and slight bleeding in the genital area", though they could not determine whether the injuries were caused by trauma or assault. A rape kit was collected, but no semen was found. The woman reportedly told medical staff, "A boy kind of raped me."<ref name="DAtranscript">Template:Cite web</ref>
According to the accuser, Roethlisberger invited her and her friends to the VIP area and encouraged them to take multiple shots of alcohol. She claimed that one of Roethlisberger's bodyguards, Coraopolis, Pennsylvania police officer and undercover DEA agent Anthony Barravecchio, led her down a hallway to the restroom and left.<ref name="AJC01">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Silver">Template:Cite news</ref> However, witnesses stated that Barravecchio placed his hand on her shoulder and gently guided her toward the restroom where the assault allegedly took place, a claim his lawyer denied.<ref name="NoWrong">Template:Cite news</ref><ref name="Twist">Template:Cite web</ref> The woman said that once alone, Roethlisberger exposed himself, and despite her protests, followed her into the bathroom when she attempted to leave. She further alleged that her friends tried to intervene, but Roethlisberger's second bodyguard, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Edward Joyner, ignored them and denied knowing what they were talking about.<ref name="trooper">Template:Cite web</ref> Both officers later claimed to have no memory of meeting the accuser.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Milledgeville Police Sergeant Jerry Blash, who had posed for a photograph with Roethlisberger earlier in the evening, was the first to respond.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He later admitted to denigrating the accuser and failed to formally question Roethlisberger.<ref name="AJC01" /> In April 2010, District Attorney Fred Bright announced that no charges would be filed.<ref name=DAtranscript /> The accuser, through her attorney, said she no longer wished to pursue criminal charges due to the intense media scrutiny but emphasized that she was not recanting her allegation.<ref name="NoChargesB">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="NoChargesFullText">Template:Cite news</ref> Following the announcement, Steelers president Art Rooney II was reported to be "furious".<ref name="SIKing">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Pittsburgh-based company PLB Sports terminated a sponsorship with Roethlisberger marketed "Big Ben's Beef Jerky".<ref name="NoJerky">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="PBJ">Template:Cite web</ref> Blash resigned from the police force on April 15. Barravecchio faced no disciplinary action, although the Coraopolis Solicitor reviewed the 500-page Georgia Bureau of Investigation file.<ref name=Twist/><ref name="Contempt">Template:Cite news</ref> Barravecchio's interview with the GBI was not among the materials released.<ref name="gbivids">Template:Cite news</ref> Joyner was barred from continuing to work for Roethlisberger and later lost a grievance case challenging that decision.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>
2010 suspension
Roethlisberger was suspended for six games during the 2010 NFL season for violating the league's personal conduct policy, and was ordered to undergo a league-mandated "professional behavior evaluation" and "must adhere to any counseling or treatment that is recommended by the professional evaluators."<ref name="APBW">Template:Cite web</ref> The suspension was subsequently reduced to four games.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="SuspensionCut">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name=hangover />
In popular culture
Roethlisberger is the namesake of multiple sandwiches, which are usually named using a pun on his last name's similarity to "burger" or "hamburger". For instance, the Pittsburgh restaurant chain Peppi's sells the "Roethlisburger", at a price of $7.00, in correlation with his jersey number "7", and also having ingredients that describe his playing style (scrambled eggs for "scrambler", beef and sausage for his size and strength).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> A Findlay, Ohio, restaurant named Tony's and an Oxford, Ohio, restaurant named Brick Street also sell "Roethlisburger" sandwiches.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
He has appeared on the Late Show with David Letterman after both of his Super Bowl victories.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> At the 2006 Grammy Awards, one week after Pittsburgh won Super Bowl XL, Roethlisberger introduced Kelly Clarkson.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> In 2009, he hosted WWE Raw.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He, along with other Steelers players, made a cameo appearance as a member of the Gotham Rogues football team in the 2012 film The Dark Knight Rises.<ref name="Steelers-1">Template:Cite web</ref>
Roethlisberger would also be mentioned or parodied in works in which he had no involvement. This would include an episode of The King of Queens in which Arthur Spooner (Jerry Stiller) purchases a Roethlisberger jersey while in a layover at Pittsburgh International Airport, an episode of South Park that parodies the aforementioned sexual assault charges, and an infamous scene in the movie Zack and Miri Make a Porno (both filmed and set in the Pittsburgh suburb of Monroeville, Pennsylvania) where a drunken Steelers fan asks two characters in the middle of a sex scene and fully nude (oblivious to the situation due to his Yinzer-esque high intoxication) if they watched the game and that Roethlisberger was screaming "huck it, chuck it, football!".Template:Citation needed
See also
- List of 500-yard passing games in the National Football League
- List of National Football League career passer rating leaders
- List of National Football League career quarterback wins leaders
- List of NFL quarterbacks who have posted a perfect passer rating
- List of National Football League quarterback playoff records
Notes and references
Template:Notelist Template:Reflist
Additional sources
- Staff (September 2006) "Ben Roethlisberger 1982–" Biography Today 15(3): pp. 102–117
External links
- Pages with broken file links
- 1982 births
- Living people
- American bloggers
- American Conference Pro Bowl players
- American football quarterbacks
- American male bloggers
- American people of Swiss-German descent
- American philanthropists
- Findlay High School alumni
- Miami RedHawks football players
- NFL controversies
- NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year winners
- Sportspeople from Findlay, Ohio
- Pittsburgh Steelers players
- Players of American football from Lima, Ohio
- Unconferenced Pro Bowl players