Former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger considered ending his retirement only a few months after announcing it, in order to suit up and play for the NFC powerhouse San Francisco 49ers.
“They were, I think, reaching out maybe just to gauge my interest,” Roethlisberger said, during a discussion with Mark Madden on 105.9 The X on Tuesday. “I had discussions. … I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was a small part of me that was intrigued. I could still do it and prove to people that I could still play. At the end of the day, I just can’t see myself in anything other than black and gold.”
The 49ers had spoken with Roethlisberger, who spent his entire career with the Steelers, after quarterbacks Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo suffered season-ending injuries, but Roethlisberger ultimately decided to stay retired.
With Roethlisberger not an option, San Francisco started late-round draft pick Brock Purdy, who would go on to make a solid argument to be the 49ers permanent starting quarterback before suffering a UCL injury, during the NFC Championship Game, that prevented him from being able to throw a football more than a few yards.
