Ben Roethlisberger on the 49ers? It could've happened. The former Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback said he had discussions with San Francisco during the 2022 season.

Roethlisberger obviously did not take them up on the offer and decided remaining retired was the best choice for him. While speaking with Mark Madden on 105.9 The X, he discussed the 49ers reaching out and how he made his decision not to join their team.

The 49ers quarterback situation was complex to say the least, using four quarterbacks during the regular season. Trey Lance earned the starting job, and when he got hurt, Jimmy Garoppolo took over as QB1. Then Garoppolo got hurt, leaving rookie and last pick of the 2022 NFL draft Brock Purdy in charge of the offense. He got hurt in the NFC Championship Game and was replaced by Josh Johnson, who was then ruled out for the game with a concussion, causing Purdy to play with an elbow injury. Since clearly their quarterback situation was no easy ride, they reached out to a Super Bowl champion.

The 41-year-old played 18 seasons in the NFL for the Steelers before retiring in 2021. He said it was slightly tempting, but nearly two decades in the league proved to be enough for No. 7. His decision was also due to his loyalty to the Steelers, not wanting to ever put on another uniform in his career.