“I’ve always said that they’re the best fans in all of sports and I’ll stick by that till the day I die” : Ben Roethlisberger was bought to tears after receiving a memorable send off at the Heinz Field stadium

It wasn’t a storybook sendoff for Ben Roethlisberger this season but very few players get the ending they want. The veteran QB will end his Steelers career with flashes of his vintage play, the good and the bad.

The Steelers star and two-time Super Bowl champion was drafted in the same 2004 draft class as Eli Manning and Phillip Rivers. He is the last quarterback standing of the group and has taken a ton of punishment. The 39 year old has not had an overwhelming season. He is not the same player he was, but no one expects him to be after a reconstructive elbow surgery 2 years ago and several physical challenges faced by him that are obvious and understandable. 

Ben Roethlisberger takes Heinz Field for the last time

Roethlisberger, the last player individually announced, sprinted out of the tunnel to a loud ovation from fans at Heinz Field who also broke out a “Let’s go Ben” chant as he took his home Steelers field for the last time. The chant stayed alive throughout the game as the fans, who came equipped with farewell signs, tendered goodbye to their franchise quarterback.

As for the game, it was no surprise that this one belonged to the Steel City “D”. With four sacks T.J. Watt pulled himself within one sack of tying the all-time single-season record and ensured Baker Mayfield never felt comfortable in the pocket. On offense it was Najee Harris who did the damage, finishing with 188 rushing yards including a timely 37-yard score in the final minute.

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Pittsburgh fans give Roethlisberger an unforgettable moment

After the game Roethlisberger acknowledged that the win wasn’t pretty but that it has been his style over the years and he wanted to win the game more than anything. He also admitted how much this game and the Steelers home field has meant to him through the years. “I’m just so thankful for these fans and this place. There’s no place like it,” Roethlisberger said with tears in his eyes during a postgame interview.

As it stands, Roethlisberger will have played 18 seasons with the Steelers and never experienced one with a losing record, the third longest streak in NFL history. We usually talk about how we take players for granted but it’s the realest thing with Ben Roethlisberger, he never got the recognition he deserved but will finish top 5-10 in every major QB category, a First ballot Hall of Famer and a Steelers Legend.