Ben Roethlisberger led one final drive for the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night in a game that was over before it had officially ended, the same as his N.F.L. career.
Roethlisberger, who will turn 40 in March, has all but announced his retirement after 18 seasons as the Steelers quarterback. Following his team’s wild-card round playoff loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, Roethlisberger spoke at a news conference about moving “from one chapter to the next.” He said that he hugged Cameron Heyward, the next longest-tenured Steelers player, and told him that the figurative torch was now his.