5 legendary NFL QBs who retired with the team that drafted them: Could Ben Roethlisberger join the list?

Ben Roethlisberger implied that Week 17 of the 2021 NFL season could potentially be his final home game played at Heinz Field for the Pittsburgh Steelers. This would imply that he could be planning to retire at the conclusion of the season. He has spent all 18 of his NFL seasons with the Steelers, winning two Super Bowls along the way.

It's somewhat rare for a legendary quarterback to play their entire career with just one team. Often times, they finish their careers with a different team than they started with. If Roethlisberger retires, he would be one of the elite few who remained with just one team from start to finish. Here are five other legendary quarterbacks who remained with just one NFL team in their careers.

5 NFL QBs who played their entire career with one team

#1 - Dan Marino, Miami Dolphins

Miami Dolphins quarterback Dan Marino

Dan Marino is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history. When he retired, he was the all-time career leader with 61,361 passing yards and 420 passing touchdowns. He set a new standard when it comes to quarterback production in the modern NFL. He spent all 17 of his seasons with the Miami Dolphins.

Dan Marino accomplished just about everything a quarterback could in the NFL. The only thing missing is a Super Bowl ring. He is one of the greatest quarterbacks in NFL history, and could be the best one who never won a Super Bowl. He is still a Hall of Famer and a former NFL MVP.

#2 - John Elway, Denver Broncos

Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway

John Elway played all 16 seasons of his legendary NFL career with the Denver Broncos. He is a two-time Super Bowl champion and a former NFL MVP. He is one of the only quarterbacks in NFL history to win two consecutive Super Bowls. He accomplished that in his final two seasons with the Broncos before retiring.

John Elway demonstrated the importance of mobility from the quarterback position. He accumulated 3,407 rushing yards in his career in addition to over 51,475 passing yards. He is the only player in NFL history who has thrown for over 3,000 yards while rushing for over 200 yards in seven consecutive seasons.

Legendary QBs who played their entire NFL career with one team

Here are five legendary quarterbacks that remained with just one NFL team for their entire careers.

#3 - Bart Starr, Green Bay Packers

Green Bay Packers quarterback Bart Starr

Bart Starr was one of the first quarterbacks in NFL history to truly reach legendary status. He won five NFL championships, three of them prior to the merger with the AFL, and then went on to win the first two Super Bowls ever. He was named the Super Bowl MVP in both of them.

Bart Starr played all 16 of his NFL season for the Green Bay Packers. His career was really defined by being a winner. In addition to the championships, he had an excellent 94-57-6 career record as well. His record in the postseason was even more impressive, officially winning nine of his ten career games.

#4 - Eli Manning, New York Giants

New York Giants quarterback Eli Manning

Eli Manning and Ben Roethlisberger are in the same 2004 NFL Draft class. Manning retired in 2019 after playing all 16 of his seasons for the New York Giants. His regular season career was relatively average. His career record is exactly .500 and he never won an NFL MVP award. The postseason is where he reached legendary status.

Eli Manning made the playoffs six times in his career. In four of them he lost his first game, but in the other two, he went a combined 8-0 while winning two Super Bowls. He was named Super Bowl MVP in both games, defeating Tom Brady and the New England Patriots as underdogs both times.

#5 - Dan Fouts, San Diego Chargers

San Diego Chargers quarterback Dan Fouts

Dan Fouts is one of the greatest quarterbacks of his generation. Fouts and head coach Don Coryell revolutionized offense in the NFL with their famous "Air Coryell" vertical passing game. They put pressure on opposing defenses with the deep threat in a way that had never been utilized before, while also heavily involving the tight end in passing schemes.

Dan Fouts played all 15 seasons of his Hall of Fame career for the San Diego Chargers. He set a single-season passing yardage NFL record for three consecutive years. He was just the third player in NFL history to eclipse 40,000 career passing yards. Dan Fouts is one of the greatest Chargers of all time.