Ben Roethlisberger’s Likely Retirement Will be Welcomed by Cleveland Browns

It looks to be that Ben Roethlisberger is going to retire after this season. The Cleveland Browns are just as ready for it as he is.

Monday Night Football will feature a matchup between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Cleveland Browns that will have heavy playoff implications. This same matchup could be the last time Roethlisberger plays a home game inside of Heinz Field. Most importantly for the Browns it could be the last time they play a Roethlisberger-led Steelers team.

During a press conference on Thursday the Steelers’ quarterback signaled the end for his football career could be coming soon.

“Looking at the bigger picture, I'd say all signs are pointing to this could be it. Regular season that is. We still have a chance to potentially get a playoff game,” Roethlisberger said on his last potential game in Pittsburgh.

There is no definite thing this happens, Roethlisberger could run it back one more year. But, as he said himself, all signs point toward him hanging it up after 18 seasons.

During those 18 seasons he has absolutely owned Cleveland unlike anyone else has. Roethlisberger has a 25-3-1 record against the Browns during those 18 years. The Steelers quarterback’s retirement will certainly be welcomed by the Browns organization as a whole.

Roethlisberger will be a hall-of-famer with ease due to the career he has had in the steel city. Last year the Browns’ playoff win over the Steelers was the high point for Cleveland in recent memory. Roethlisberger has a pair of Super Bowl wins though, something Cleveland is still in search of.

Cleveland has a chance to potentially spoil Roethlisberger’s final season and ruin their chance at the playoffs Monday night. After the season Pittsburgh will have to address their quarterback situation with the likely retirement. 

Currently on the roster is Mason Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins, neither of whom have showed starter capabilities in the NFL. Steelers will have to look over different routes to upgrade their quarterback room, as a rebuild is unlikely. Their defense is still in a win-now mode over there.

This could be a farewell from Roethlisberger. For the Browns it’s a chance to get the best of him at the end of his career, after Roethlisberger has gotten the best of them for nearly two decades.

Brandon Little is a writer for Sports Illustrated’s Browns Digest website and you can follow him on Twitter here. You can follow Browns Digest on Twitter as well here.

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