Ben Roethlisberger's 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers was nearly less than half of that.
Former 49ers coach Mike Singletary revealed Pittsburgh and San Francisco had a deal in place that would have sent Roethlisberger to the Bay Area in 2009. Singletary said he blocked the deal over concerns with Roethlisberger's character and because of loyalty to Alex Smith, the 49ers' then-starter.
“I had been telling the team I wanted a team of character,” Singletary told Dan Pompei of The Athletic. “I felt I had to be true to that. But if I could do it again, I’d do it differently.