On this day in Steelers history: Ben Roethlisberger changed the face of the franchise

In 2004, Ben Roethlisberger took the field with the Pittsburgh Steelers for the first time and forever changed the history of the franchise.

On Sept. 19, 2004, Ben Roethlisberger forever changed the face of the Pittsburgh Steelers franchise.

In Week 2, the Steelers were trailing the rival Baltimore Ravens 20 to zip with five minutes remaining in the third quarter. QB Tommy Maddox sustained an elbow injury that forced Roethlisberger to come off the bench and play in his first pro game. Despite two picks, he showed a veteran’s poise and finished the game with two touchdowns, 176 yards, and an 83 percent passer rating. Pittsburgh lost to Baltimore by a score of 30-13, but it wouldn’t lose again until the conference championship game 15 games later.

Roethlisberger would quickly go from game manager to Super Bowl winner, helping the team to three and winning two.

The six-time Pro Bowler hung up his cleats on January 27, 2022, with 64,008 yards, 438 total touchdowns, 1,373 rushing yards and a quarterback record of 165-81-1 in 249 games (247 starts). His storied career will — without question — earn him a gold jacket, likely with his first shot in 2027.

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