Ben Roethlisberger reveals talks with 49ers about NFL return, thoughts on Kenny Pickett

During a radio interview Tuesday afternoon, former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger revealed that he had conversations with the San Francisco 49ers about coming out of retirement for at least a portion of the 2022 season.

While speaking with TribLIVE’s Mark Madden during his afternoon show on 105.9 The X, Roethlisberger alluded to some speculation that the Niners had dialogue with him about a comeback. Roethlisberger admitted that he considered the possibility.

“Last year, there were some truths to the Niners thing,” Roethlisberger told Madden. “They were, I think, reaching out maybe just to gauge my interest. I had discussions. That’s all. I don’t want to sit here and say I was going or anything like that. They called me to gauge interest. I had conversations with my agent, with my wife, my family. I prayed a lot about it.”

However, Roethlisberger said the decision to stay retired didn’t take long.

“I’d be lying if I didn’t say there was a small part of me that was intrigued, like, ‘Oh man, I could still do it,’ and prove to people that I could still play,” Roethlisberger continued. “At the end of the day, I just can’t see myself in anything other than black and gold.”

Roethlisberger didn’t specify when these conversations were taking place. The 49ers suffered repeated injuries at the quarterback position last year, losing both Trey Lance and Jimmy Garoppolo during the season. Yet they still made it to the NFC Championship game with Brock Purdy at quarterback.

“Even though they had a great chance, I think, to win a Super Bowl, it would’ve been hard for me to go try and win a Super Bowl anywhere else but here,” Roethlisberger said. “So at the end of the day, it was the smallest, little bleep in my heart to go and play again,”

Roethlisberger said he is comfortable with his decision to retire and says his body has healed nicely after 18 years of pro football.

“I love waking up in the morning and not having issues with my knees and shoulders and elbows,” he said.

Madden and Roethlisberger touched on many other topics as well, including what it will take for Kenny Pickett to launch himself into the elite class of AFC quarterbacks.

“Winning always puts you in those levels,” Roethlisberger said. “But he’s surprised me in the sense that I think he’s much better with his legs, and his feet, and mobility than I anticipated. Maybe it’s just me not watching enough Pitt ball, but I thought that he could move and extend plays. Not just extend plays behind the line of scrimmage but get yards down the field. So I think that he is going to be able to use that when it comes to working into that elite level. … He extends (plays); when he puts his head down and goes downfield, he’s picking up serious yards. He is picking up 10, 15, 20 yards a clip. That’s probably one of the differences, his actual running ability.”

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Roethlisberger also insists there is something to be said for the guile Pickett showed at the end of games last year, particularly during late-season victories over the Baltimore Ravens and Las Vegas Raiders.

“When it comes down to the last drive of the game and you have an opportunity to take your team down the field. In Baltimore, at home (against the) Raiders … to do that on the last drive, that is big-time football. That throws stats out the window,” Roethlisberger said.

“To be able to kind of just play the game when it matters most, turn it on. Lead your team down the field. It wasn’t like he was handing off. He was making plays, finding guys. I think right now he can build on that, and I think his confidence is through the roof.”

Roethlisberger also touched on his relationship with offensive coordinator Matt Canada.

“I like Matt. I have a great relationship with Matt,” Roethlisberger said. “I would consider Matt a friend. I enjoyed the couple of seasons we worked together. Did we have our differences in play calls or scheme things at times? Absolutely. But tell me one player on any team — it doesn’t matter what position they played — there’s going to be something that maybe they don’t agree with their coach on. I’m sure there are plays that maybe I called in the no-huddle that Matt was like, ‘Oh, I wish you wouldn’t have done that.’ That’s the nature of the beast.”

Other topics in the interview include Roethlisberger’s thoughts on the top quarterbacks in the game today, his podcast venture and filling his retirement life watching his kids getting into athletics.