Ben Roethlisberger
Is Ben Roethlisberger currently playing in his final season? (Steven Senne / Associated Press)

Could 2017 be the last we see of Ben Roethlisberger? It may not be too far-fetched to see Big Ben call it quits following this season. Roethlisberger, 35, seriously hinted at retirement this offseason but decided to come back. After a 30-9 home loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars, Roethlisberger made a shocking statement.

When a reporter asked if Big Ben was doing anything different this season, Roethlisberger gave an unexpected answer.

“I don’t think so, but maybe I am. Maybe I don’t have it anymore. I’m not playing well enough.”

Roethlisberger threw five interceptions in the loss and probably had the worst outing of his career. Ben has called out the Antonio Brown and the Steelers culture in the past few weeks. The good news is, however, Pittsburgh still sit in first place with a 3-2 record in the AFC North.

It’s fair to wonder how long Roethlisberger will continue playing even if he turns it around. He cited age to be the biggest factor in considering retirement this offseason.

“Age,” Roethlisberger told the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in July of his reasons for retiring. “It’s just, it’s 14 years; that’s a long time. I think the average life expectancy in the NFL is 3 years, maybe 3.5 now.”