Ben Roethlisberger has announced his retirement from the NFL after 18 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

"The journey has been exhilarating, fueled by a spirit of competition," Roethlisberger said. "Yet the time has come to clean out my locker, hang up my cleats and continue to be all I can be to my wife and children. I retire from football a truly grateful man."

Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls with the Steelers and was a productive quarterback for much of his career.

Roethlisberger had issues off the field during the first half of his career. Roethlisberger had a motorcycle accident in 2006 and was twice accused of sexual assault and received a six-game suspension to start the 2010 season.