Eighteen seasons, two Super Bowl rings, five AFC Championship appearances, more than 64,000 passing yards, and 418 touchdowns, all while piling up more wins than any quarterback in franchise history. With 12 postseason trips, eight division titles, and two Super Bowl wins in three appearances, Ben Roethlisberger consistently kept the Steelers in the thick of things.
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Naturally, Roethlisberger’s induction into the Steelers Hall of Honor felt inevitable long before Saturday night arrived. For Pittsburgh, meanwhile, it was more a formal thank-you to the quarterback who defined an era.
Fittingly, Roethlisberger made sure the moment felt exactly like him. The night was emotional from the jump, as Roethlisberger took the stage surrounded by family, former teammates, coaches, and a fanbase that watched him grow from a raw Ohio kid into a Hall of Fame-caliber leader. He spoke directly to Steelers Nation with the same gratitude that fueled his career.
“I’m so thankful I got to play in front of you for 18 years. I could never imagine putting on any other uniform than the black and gold… I wanted to bleed for you. I will always bleed black and gold,” Roethlisberger said in his speech.
That said, the entire speech wasn’t fully sentimental. Big Ben, being Big Ben, couldn’t resist sprinkling in some little humor, specifically at the expense of Cleveland.
“Thank you to the Cleveland Browns for not drafting me,” Roethlisberger said, drawing laughter and appreciative applause. It was a joke, sure. But it also carried two decades of subtext.
DAMN: #Steelers legend Ben Roethlisberger takes SHOTS at the Cleveland #Browns at a team event last night.
“I’d like to thank the Cleveland Browns for not drafting me.”
“I had to, sorry. This is another win for the Steelers.”
— MLFootball (@MLFootball) December 15, 2025
The Browns, holding the sixth pick in the 2004 NFL Draft, passed on the Ohio native quarterback in favor of TE Kellen Winslow II. Cleveland needed immediate impact and believed Winslow was the safer choice. Then, Pittsburgh, sitting at No. 11, gladly took Roethlisberger. The rest, as they say, is history.
From that moment on, the rivalry tilted sharply. Roethlisberger went 26-2-1 against the Browns in the regular season, routinely punishing the franchise that passed on him. Behind a stable organization led by Bill Cowher and later Mike Tomlin, Big Ben flourished in an environment built for quarterback success, something Cleveland simply hasn’t offered in forever.
That contrast has also long fueled the “what if” conversation. Would Ben Roethlisberger still have been great in Cleveland? Probably. But would he have won two Super Bowls amid coaching turnover and organizational chaos? Far less certain because Cleveland could never have given him the structure or environment that Pittsburgh did.
Coming back to the team HOF honor, it’s worth noting that Roethlisberger’s speech also carried personal moments. Especially when he spoke about Maurkice Pouncey, his longtime center and fellow inductee. “You were my comfort blanket,” Roethlisberger said, fighting back tears. “Even in practice, if you weren’t out there, it ruined my day.”
All said and done, Roethlisberger delivered a fine speech that truly defined his legacy at the franchise while expressing gratitude to the ones who helped him be who he is. And the digs on Cleveland were just the seasoning on what will end up being a memorable speech for a long time.
