Future Hall of Famer Ben Roethlisberger has one year remaining on his contract and according to ESPN’s Adams Schefter, he plans on fulfilling the terms of that agreement. Despite this year taking a “physical toll” on Roethlisberger, the 38-year-old expects to return for an 18th NFL season in 2021. Per Schefter, the longtime Steelers QB is “having too much fun and likes his team too much to walk away.”
Roethlisberger, a six-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl Champion, has enjoyed a resurgent season coming off last year’s elbow injury, throwing for 29 touchdowns against just nine interceptions. Thanks in large part to Roethlisberger’s heroics, the 11-2 Steelers are headed back to the playoffs for the first time in three years. A win Monday night in Cincinnati—where the Steelers are commanding 14.5-point favorites—would allow Pittsburgh to clinch its first division title since 2017. Though unlikely, the Steelers still have an outside shot of claiming the AFC’s top seed (which currently belongs to Kansas City) as well as a first-round bye.
The likelihood is that Roethlisberger’s eventual successor in Pittsburgh is not on the team’s roster. Between 2018 third-rounder Mason Rudolph, Joshua Dobbs (who hasn’t attempted an NFL pass in over two years) and practice squad quarterback Duck Hodges, Pittsburgh looks ready to ride or die with Roethlisberger under center. Big Ben is due $19 million ($4 million in salary and a $15-million roster bonus) with a league-high $41.25-million cap hit next season. Among active players, only Arizona’s Larry Fitzgerald has been with his team longer than Roethlisberger, who joined the Steelers as a first-round pick (11th overall) in 2004.
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