A former Super Bowl winner left fans stunned with his appearance after he was spotted in public earlier this week. 

Ben Roethlisberger was captured at Irish Creek – a golf club nestled in Kannapolis, North Carolina – for a charity tournament Monday. 

And, three years on from retiring from the NFL, the former quarterback’s public golf outing left fans claiming he looked unrecognizable. 

Roethlisberger, who hoisted the Lombardi trophy twice during his 18-year career with the Pittsburgh Steelers, was snapped arriving at the course for the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation fundraising event. 

Highsmith, a Steelers linebacker whose NFL career overlapped one season with Roethlisberger, hosted the event to raise money for his foundation which strives to improve the lives of young people in the Pittsburgh and Wilmington areas. 

And, attending to support his former teammate, Roethlisberger cut a slimmed-down figure as he arrived at Irish Creek. 

Legendary NFL quarterback Ben Roethlisberger looked unrecognizable earlier this week 

The former Steelers star attended ex-teammate Alex Highsmith’s charity golf tournament 

Wearing navy pants, a black quarter-sleeve windbreaker with a grey base layer underneath and deep blue cap, the former signal caller left fans impressed with his apparent weight loss. 

Others weren’t so kind, suggesting weight-loss drug Ozempic was behind his transformation. 

The 43-year-old hasn’t suited up on the football field since 2021, when he hung his cleats up following a glittering career. 

Roethlisberger spent his entire career with the Steelers after being selected with the 11th overall pick in the 2004 Draft, going on to be named NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. 

He received six Pro Bowl nods as well as being crowned NFL pᴀssing yards leader twice in 2014 and 2018.

However, as he awaits Hall of Fame candidacy, Roethlisberger recently floated the suggestion of copying Tom Brady and coming out of retirement. 

The Steelers landed a mᴀssive offensive weapon this offseason thanks to a blockbuster trade for wide receiver DK Metcalf. 

Yet, with Pittsburgh’s quarterback room looking bare, there remains the question of who will be pᴀssing to the wideout next season. 

The 43-year-old hasn’t suited up on the football field since 2021 when he hung his cleats up

And Roethlisberger jokingly threw his hat into the ring on social media earlier this month. 

‘Coach T [Mike Tomlin], are you kidding me? DK Metcalf on one side, GP [George Pickens] on the other? Muth [Pat Freiermuth] working the middle? I might need to throw my hat in the ring. If you’re looking for a guy, I might still have a couple of throws in me!’ Roethlisberger said in a video on his Instagram page while donning his old Steelers helmet. 

The organization in Pittsburgh is considering a move to sign Aaron Rodgers, with the quarterback visiting the team’s facility last week.

According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter , Rodgers was there for a while and talked with head coach Mike Tomlin’s staff. The two parties will now stay in touch as the quarterback weighs up his next move.

It is claimed that a deal remains some way off but this is the first time in the NFL offseason that news of Rodgers visiting a team has emerged.