Ben Roethlisberger stats: Steelers quarterback set to end NFL career with all-time great passing numbers

The Big Ben era isn’t officially over just yet, but the clock is about to strike midnight.

Sunday’s AFC North matchup between the Steelers and Ravens could be the final opportunity for Pittsburgh fans to watch Ben Roethlisberger in action. He hasn’t declared that he is retiring after the conclusion of the 2021 season, but he did say ahead of the team’s Week 17 game against the Browns that “all signs” are pointing that way.

The Steelers will need three things to happen in order to reach the playoffs: a win over the Ravens, a Colts loss to the Jaguars and any result except a tie in the Chargers-Raiders game. If the Steelers don’t get the help that they need, Sunday’s contest would likely mark the end of an NFL career that has spanned 18 seasons, all of which came with the franchise that selected Roethlisberger in the first round of the 2004 NFL Draft.

Before Roethlisberger puts on his Steelers jersey for what could be the last time, let’s take a look back at both his statistics for this season and his entire career.

MORE: Aaron Rodgers shares thoughts on Roethlisberger’s likely home farewell with Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger 2021 season stats

Unless he has a monster performance in Week 18, Roethlisberger will finish with one of the least impressive stat lines of his nearly two-decade tenure with the Steelers. Through 15 games, Roethlisberger has thrown for 3,496 yards, a total that would not be among his top 10 seasons. He is also at the lowest mark of his career for yards per attempt (6.2) when excluding the 2019 season in which he played just two games.

The numbers are not all that surprising considering Roethlisberger is less than two months away from his 40th birthday and has dealt with several significant injuries over the years. This version of Roethlisberger simply doesn’t have the same level of athleticism and arm strength as prime Big Ben.

(All stats current as of Week 17)

Ben Roethlisberger career stats with Steelers

Despite a rough final stretch, Roethlisberger has enjoyed an incredible overall run. He is fifth on the all-time passing yards list behind only Tom Brady, Drew Brees, Peyton Manning and Brett Favre. He is also in the top five on the all-time lists for pass completions and attempts, and he is eighth on the all-time list for passing touchdowns.

Perhaps Roethlisberger’s most outstanding career stat: 40 fourth-quarter comebacks, the third-most in NFL history. He sits behind only Peyton Manning (43) and Tom Brady (42) in that category.

(All stats current as of Week 17)

Ben Roethlisberger career accolades

• Two-time Super Bowl champion: Roethlisberger struggled in Super Bowl XL, completing just nine passes for 123 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions. He fared much better in Super Bowl XLIII, racking up 256 passing yards and hitting Santonio Holmes in the back of the end zone for the game-winning touchdown.
• Six-time Pro Bowler: Roethlisberger earned Pro Bowl nods in 2007, 2011 and 2014-17. His 2007 and 2014 seasons were his best individual campaigns in terms of quarterback rating.
• Two-time NFL passing yards leader: Roethlisberger threw for 4,952 yards in 2014 and 5,129 yards in 2018. He also led the league in passing completions and attempts in 2018.
• NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year: Roethlisberger was originally set to sit behind Tommy Maddox during his rookie season, but after Maddox suffered an injury in the second game of the 2004 campaign, Roethlisberger became the starter. He finished 13-0 in the regular season, totaling 2,261 yards, 17 touchdowns and 11 interceptions.