Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, bruised and battered, told reporters on Wednesday that he has no intentions of giving up on this season. His desire to play remains a source of motivation.
But Pittsburgh finds itself in a precarious position, mired in the muck with Roethlisberger beginning a rapid descent. And no matter how 2021 ends for the 39-year-old, Hall of Famer and franchise legend Rod Woodson believes that Roethlisberger is 13 games away from calling it quits.
"Ben's played so well for so long for Pittsburgh, he doesn't need to apologize to anybody," Woodson told The Zach Gelb Show on Wednesday. "I know that he wants to prove to himself that he still can play in the NFL. But I would think the way it's gone the last two years -- well, the second half of last year and so far this year -- if it stays status quo, then I would not see Ben coming back. Ben's played a long time. He's got a great life ahead of him. So, I would be very surprised if Ben Roethlisberger comes back in 2022."
Roethlisberger, who's currently dealing with a hip injury and a pectoral issue, has become a liability for the Steelers. Through four games, he's completed 64.1-percent of his passes for 1,033 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions, and his quarterback rating of 36.3 ranks fifth-worst in the NFL.
Although Roethlisberger's immobility and lack of throwing power have dashed the team's hopes of contending for a Super Bowl this year, the entire offense has grossly underperformed. The unit ranks 28th in the NFL in average points (16.8), 27th in total yards (301.8), 16th in passing yards (246.5), and dead last in rushing yards (55.3).
Pittsburgh (1-3) will host Denver (3-1) in a Week 5 matchup Sunday afternoon. According to FiveThirtyEight's projections, the Steelers have just a 9-percent chance to reach the playoffs and a 2-percent chance to win the AFC North.
The entire NFL conversation between Woodson and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.