Ben Roethlisberger focused on ‘right now,’ not possible final season with Pittsburgh Steelers

PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger could very well be in the final month of his Pittsburgh Steelers career.

The 39-year-old quarterback has been telling former teammates and members within the organization that he intends this to be his final season in Pittsburgh, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported two weeks ago.

But he’s pushing off any thoughts of finality as the Steelers try to mount a late-season surge to earn a playoff berth.

“I’m living right here, right now,” Roethlisberger said Wednesday, asked if he thinks about how his own career will end. “We’ve got to make a run. We’ve got to play good football. We’ve got to play great football. That starts right here with me. I can’t get caught looking at the end because I need to focus on right here, this week.”

Despite the team’s inconsistent play in the last five games, Roethlisberger still believes his locker room can make a push in the final four games.

“You look at guys sometimes and look in their eyes and see what they have,” Roethlisberger said. “The crazy thing about this game and this sport is you can look at guys and you can feel that guys have all the heart in the world and the passion and they want it and they’re going to give you everything they have.

“Sometimes the other team is better or they make a play and you don’t. Just because you’re losing a football game or the season isn’t going the way you want it to, doesn’t mean these guys don’t have heart and don’t love it and aren’t passionate for it. It doesn’t mean that. I just want to see that guys are never going to quit.”

This week, Roethlisberger’s tunnel vision is focused on the AFC South-leading Tennessee Titans.

The Steelers (6-6-1) are in the basement of the AFC North, but they’re not far off from the Baltimore Ravens (8-5) or the Cleveland Browns and Cincinnati Bengals, each 7-6.

“I think sitting out the weekend also provided us the perspective of how wide open this field is and our potential place in it,” coach Mike Tomlin said Tuesday.

One of the…