The Pittsburgh Steelers have been in a weird state ever since the retirement of longtime quarterback Ben Roethlisberger following the 2021 season. The organization has struggled to find a franchise quarterback and has resorted to finding veteran solutions at the position over the last two seasons. It might be time to bring in a new regime as things are not working in Pittsburgh the way things are currently set up. Head Coach Mike Tomlin could be on his way out, and there could be a ton of turnover on the roster during the 2026 offseason.
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Steelers retired quarterback Ben Roethlisberger visits his former team and Head Coach Mike Tomlin at a team practice just before the 2023 season at the UPMC Sports Complex in Pittsburgh, PA.
It is safe to say that the organization has missed Roethlisberger at quarterback. He was not the same player later on in his career, especially after his elbow injury during the 2019 season. However, Roethlisberger always had the Steelers feeling competitive, and the franchise has not felt that way since his retirement. He has been vocal since hanging up the cleats, and on a recent episode of Almost Athletes With Dude Perfect, Roethlisberger laid out a strong goal when asked about his involvement with the organization.
"No, none whatsoever," Roethlisberger said. "I think at some point it would be kind of fun to get back involved. You know, probably not as much as like an [John] Elway where you're a GM. I'd love to pull like the [Dan] Marino or the Jim Kelly where their just kind of like, 'Oh, you want to ask a question? I'll talk about it.' Where they're just like a little face of the team, I don't know. Some ownership would be cool at some point."
The former quarterback made it clear he has no interest in becoming a coach or a broadcaster, but he did mention that becoming an owner of the organization in some capacity would be something he is interested in. The Steelers are owned for the most part by the Rooney family, but there are also a ton of minority owners as well. Not all percentages and information is public, but that is the basic understanding of the ownership breakdown in Pittsburgh.
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Steelers Team President and Owner Art Rooney II stands on the field as Pittsburgh gets set to play a professional football game on the road.
Roethlisberger has a desire to own a piece of the Steelers one day, and that is something that is absolutely a possibility. Whenever a minority stake in the team goes up for sale, the former quarterback can find a group to join to invest with and buy that stake in the team. Former wide receiver John Stallworth is a minority owner in Pittsburgh after he bought stake in the team back in 2009. It is unclear if he did that with an ownership group or by himself. The four-time Super Bowl champion had a successful business career that stemmed over 20 years from the 1980s through the mid-2000s, so it can be assumed he is very wealthy.
Roethlisberger played for 18 seasons in the NFL, and he made a significant amount of money. His career earnings are expected to be over $260 million, so the future Hall of Famer should be a name to look out for the next time a minority stake in the organization goes up for sale.
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Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger runs with the football while wearing a throwback jersey.
Steelers' Ben Roethlisberger Owning The Team Would Likely Not Change Much
Roethlisberger buying a minority stake in the team would not change a thing in reality. The former quarterback might be seen on the sideline at training camp a little more, or he might be shown on the broadcast watching the games in the owner's box with Art Rooney II. Maybe Roethlisberger could give his input on a few things, but not much would change when it comes to the team and how thing's operate.
What do you think about Roethlisberger one day buying stake in the Steelers? Let us know in the comments below!
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