(Photo by Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s, Ben Roethlisberger idolized Hall of Fame quarterbacks Joe Montana, John Elway, Dan Marino and Jim Kelly. Elway, Marino and Kelly played their entire careers with one team, while Montana played his final two seasons with the Chiefs after 13 years with the 49ers. And it sounds like Roethlisberger is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Elway, Marino and Kelly.
“I think the hardest thing was watching Joe (Montana) go to the Chiefs from the 49ers,” Roethlisberger said on Wednesday. “That was really tough.”
If Roethlisberger ends up only donning the black and gold, he'll become the only quarterback in NFL history to play an entire career of at least 18 seasons with one team.
Roethlisberger needs 27 passing yards to pass Philip Rivers for fifth most passing yards in NFL history. Roethlisberger is at 63,414 passing yards right now. Only Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady would be ahead of him.
"Those are things you look back on when you’re done," Roethlisberger said about needing 27 yards to pass Rivers for fifth place on the NFL's all-time passing yardage list. "Anytime you get up there with — I’ll even call them a legend from my draft class — it’s cool when you play a long time.”
Roethlisberger needs six touchdown passes to surpass Marino (420) for seventh all-time.