Roethlisberger retires at 39: Time to ‘hang up my cleats’

By WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ben Roethlisberger’s NFL career is over. The longtime Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback has announced his retirement. In a video message, Roethlisberger said it was “time to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats” after 18 seasons, two Super Bowls, countless team records and a likely spot in the Hall of Fame. The 39-year-old Roethlisberger called his journey from a kid growing up in northwestern Ohio to the 11th overall pick in the 2004 draft to a likely future Hall of Famer “exhilarating” but said he is retiring “a truly grateful man.” The Steelers never had a losing season during Roethlisberger’s tenure and captured Super Bowls 40 and 43. The player known universally as “Big Ben” posted a 165-81-1 record as a starter, the most in franchise history and fifth-most ever.