PITTSBURGH — The picture of Ben Roethlisberger wasn’t flattering at all, and it was something he knew would be attached to him forever.

Moments after the Steelers were shocked by the Browns in a wild-card playoff game in January, Roethlisberger sat on an empty bench on the home side of Heinz Field with a blank stare on his face. He was upset the season had ended. He was upset about how he played. He knew a potentially special season was lost, and he was disappointed because he knew friend and center Maurkice Pouncey’s future was in question.

But he was also unsure of his future. Roethlisberger was 38 and had played 17 seasons. His surgically repaired right elbow was not normal and his knees were sore. More than that, he had a hefty salary-cap hit for a team that was going to have major turnover because of salary-cap woes.

“There is only one way a season or a career ever ends as a player wants it to, right?” Roethlisberger told The Athletic after practice earlier this week. “Confetti and those kinds of things, or it’s going to end in a way that’s not going to make you happy.”

Roethlisberger threw for 501 yards but had four critical interceptions in the 48-37 loss to the Browns, who were ravaged by COVID-19. Roethlisberger went into the game with a 24-2-1 record all time against the Browns.

“I hate to lose. I hate to lose at home. I hate to lose in the playoffs,” he said. “I hate to lose to the Browns. It doesn’t happen often. I get it, but it stinks when it happens. Just sitting there knowing that there were changes about to come. I knew Pouncey was kind of on the fence.