Jan 24, 2017 5 min read

PITTSBURGH – Chuck Noll used to say if a player is thinking about retirement, he’s already done so.

The Steelers hope that’s not the case with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger – at least it hasn’t been in the past.

Roethlisberger said Tuesday on his weekly appearance on KDKA-FM that he wants to take some time after this season to think about whether or not he’ll play in 2017.

“I’m going to take this offseason to evaluate, to consider all options,” Roethlisberger said. “To consider health and family and things like that and just kind of take some time away to evaluate next season, if there’s going to be a next season.”

It’s the first time Roethlisberger, who will turn 35 in March, has spoken publicly about the possibility of retirement.

But in the aftermath of Sunday’s 36-17 season-ending loss to the New England Patriots, the Steelers are in an emotional state.

Roethlisberger’s career contemplation did not take head coach Mike Tomlin by surprise. In fact, Tomlin said he’s had similar conversations with his quarterback about possible retirement in the past.

“He said it, so you do take it seriously,” said Tomlin. “That’s a fair assessment of where he is in his career. I’m not alarmed by it. I just think that’s football. Obviously, I’m hopeful that he returns, and the potential of his returning or not returning will weigh heavily in our planning. But I’m not alarmed or surprised by that thought process. That’s life. He’s a significant component, the significant component, of what it is that we do. We’ll plan and react accordingly.”

Roethlisberger signed a five-year, $99-million contract extension before the 2015 season that runs through 2019.

He’s coming off a season in which he threw for nearly 4,000 yards and had 29 touchdown passes, despite missing two games, one because of injury and one because of a coach’s decision. Tomlin said he typically sits down with his star quarterback last when holding his postseason player meetings and the two have not met. Roethlisberger’s future is sure to be a topic of discussion when that does happen. Those meetings with the players began Tuesday.

Other players spoke off the record Tuesday and said they also heard retirement talk from Roethlisberger after previous seasons but don’t take it seriously.

Meanwhile, Tomlin said he was aware of soreness in star running back Le’Veon Bell’s groin that Bell eventually injured in the first quarter of the loss to the Patriots.

Bell, who was coming off games of 167 and 170 yards in his previous two playoff games, was given off Wednesday practices by Tomlin for the past month. He also was excused from practice last Thursday, when he travelled to California for the birth of his child.

“He was doing a great job of managing it. It didn’t cause him to miss any practice time, let alone game time. It was just something to manage,” Tomlin said. “I think when you look at the journey that is the season, I think that just about every guy down there is dealing with and managing something in an effort to stay on the grass. I was aware of it. But it wasn’t significant to the point where it affected planning or the anticipation of planning in any way. It was unfortunate that it became an issue in-game. But it wasn’t something that was on our radar from that perspective.”

Bell said he might not have been completely honest with the severity of the issue with the training staff.

Some have suggested the Steelers were hiding the injury, which could leave them open to NFL sanctions for not putting him on their pre-game injury report. Tomlin said he didn’t do so because there was never any doubt Bell was going to play.

“To my estimation, he was managing it extremely well,” Tomlin said. “It didn’t cause him to miss any practice reps, so I didn’t list it.”

Tomlin said he’s open to outside linebacker James Harrison returning in 2017. Harrison, who will be 39 next season, is an unrestricted free agent. … Tomlin said wide receiver Martavis Bryant, who was suspended this season for violation of the league’s substance abuse policy, has not yet applied for reinstatement. “I am hopeful for that reinstatement, but I am in a wait-and-see mentality, because a lot of those things are outside our control.” … Tomlin said he has not met with the members of his coaching staff at this point and would not commit to the staff returning next season in its current state. … The Steelers signed 11 players to futures contracts Tuesday, including running backs Gus Johnson, Brandon Brown-Dukes, Karlos Williams, and Dreamius Smith, cornerbacks Brandon Dixon and Mike Hilton, offensive linemen Keavon Milton and Matt Feiler, safety Jacob Hagen and wide receivers Marcus Tucker and Dez Stewart.