Pittsburgh Steelers: Ben Roethlisberger gives insight to his 2019 plans

The Pittsburgh Steelers’ 2018 season has been a wild roller coaster ride, and with the playoffs on the line, Ben Roethlisberger is making headlines in a different way.

Week 17 has yet to be played and the Steelers’ postseason is well in question, but Ben Roethlisberger is looking forward to the future. Without drawing too much attention to himself, the Pittsburgh quarterback told 93.7 The Fan he plans to return next season.

At 36-years-old, Roethlisberger is having his best statistical season. Despite the Steelers being as on and off as any team in the NFL, Big Ben is looking to surpass 5,000 yards before the end of Sunday.

No matter how the Steelers’ season turns out, Roethlisberger says he “has every intention” to play next year.

That’s a good sign for Pittsburgh. If they don’t make the playoffs this season, they’ve clearly proven they can compete with the best in the league. Next year, they’ll need to fix minor issues and focus on staying more consistent with the talent within the roster.

Possible coaching changes and the addition and replacement of some players should be expected if this team doesn’t win the AFC North title this week.

This gives Roethlisberger plenty to work with and another year under new and impressive offensive coordinator Randy Fitchner. The two have clearly clicked in the first season since Fitchner was promoted in replacement of Todd Haley. Another offseason could take this offense to the next level.

2018 isn’t over yet, and the Steelers are still hoping they find their way into the playoffs. But with all the gloom hanging over the city following a frustrating loss to the Saints, knowing the leader of this team will return next year brings light.

Antonio Brown and JuJu Smith-Schuster are going to be all smiles knowing the news, but for now, the team remains focused on Cincinnati.