Ben Roethlisberger says knee 'feels pretty good,' Steelers' season 'is not over'

Pittsburgh still has plenty of time to right the ship, Big Ben added

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers have had a rough December, barely beating the Baltimore Ravens after a long week, falling to Washington Football Team and then struggling to keep up with the Buffalo Bills -- all before Big Ben hinted he might need to "hang it up" amid a decline in production. On Wednesday, ahead of Pittsburgh's Week 15 rematch with the Cincinnati Bengals, Roethlisberger took a more optimistic tone, telling reporters he's healthy and promising the Steelers' season "is not over."

"Other than having an old knee and arthritis, my knee feels really good," Roethlisberger said.

And as for the retirement talk?

"I'll never just hang it up in the middle of a season, obviously," he clarified, per ESPN's Brooke Pryor. "This team is special. The season is not over. I want everyone to take a deep breath ... we've got time."

Roethlisberger and the Steelers still have good numbers on the year: Big Ben has thrown 29 touchdowns to nine interceptions and once appeared to even be in the 2020 NFL MVP conversation, whereas Pittsburgh remains atop the AFC North at 11-2. But their final three games of the season -- against the Bengals, Colts and Browns -- could determine whether they enter the playoffs as division-winning favorites or wild card underdogs.