‘Big’ Ben Roethlisberger Reveals How the 49ers Tried to Lure Him for the 2022 Season

The future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger hanged his cleats a year ago. He enjoys waking up without any issues with his shoulder, knees, or hips. But during the 2022 season, he could have risked it all for one team.

The Pittsburgh Steelers legend ‘Big’ Ben revealed an unheard detail that went between him and the San Francisco 49ers. On 105.9 The X with Mark Madden, the star quarterback said that the team was interested in bringing in the two-time Super Bowl champion.

How did the 49ers try to entice Ben Roethlisberger?

In the 2022–2023 season, San Francisco was hit with an injury bug. Trey Lance suffered a season-ending injury in Week 2. He was announced as the starting quarterback for the season. Then in Week 13, backup QB Jimmy Garoppolo succumbed to a season-ending Lisfranc injury. 

The 41-year-old said that the team had reached out to him and was trying to gauge his interest. Although he agreed that he wanted to play for another year and wanted to show everyone that he’s still got it, he couldn’t get himself to follow through.

He said, “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.” How amazing it would have been to see ‘Big’ Ben play with San Fran!

Then the third-year rookie QB Brock Purdy stepped into Jimmy G‘s shoes and finished the season 5-0 as a starter. Even though he was successful at leading his team to the NFC Championship, he suffered an elbow injury in the first quarter. Then the 49ers faced a 31-7 defeat against the Philadelphia Eagles. This ended their playoff run.

Could Roethlisberger have won a Super Bowl ring with the Niners?

It is undeniable that the six-time Pro Bowler is one of the best QB the league has ever seen. He is the record-holder for most passing yards in a career by a quarterback that only played for one team, with 64,088.

So, there is no question that the iconic QB would not have led the team to the Super Bowl championship. However, after his retirement, he found out that he wasn’t in game shape. Additionally, the QB is just too loyal to the Steelers nation. He also enjoys producing his ‘Footbahlin’ podcast.