Many have wondered if Ben Roethlisberger, who limped to the finish line with four interceptions in Pittsburgh’s playoff loss to Cleveland (though he did throw for over 500 yards in that game), will return for an 18th season in the Steel City … or if the Steelers even want him back. Roethlisberger’s age and declining arm strength both cast doubt on his long-term future with the organization, though the 38-year-old’s league-high $41.25-million cap hit for 2021 including a $19-million roster bonus makes releasing him cost-prohibitive.
That puts the Steelers between a rock and a hard place, though Roethlisberger may have a solution. According to longtime Steelers beat reporter Ed Bouchette, Roethlisberger intends to play one more season and would gladly restructure the final year of his contract to facilitate that process.
“I want to do everything I can and made that very clear to them from the very beginning that it was my idea to basically help the team however I can this year,” said Roethlisberger, insisting he doesn’t care “at all” about his 2021 salary. “I am pretty sure I want to go one more year [because] I think I can do it and give us a real chance at winning.”
While the latter claim is somewhat debatable—the six-time Pro Bowler was not a particularly effective quarterback down the stretch this season—it seems Roethlisberger has every intention of returning for a grand finale in 2021 and will jump through whatever financial hoops the Steelers need him to in order to make that a reality.
Even with JuJu Smith-Schuster headed for free agency, the Steelers bring back a strong receiving corps featuring Diontae Johnson (88-923-7 on 144 targets) and Chase Claypool, who led all rookies with nine receiving touchdowns in his debut season. Options are plentiful in this year’s quarterback carousel with Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford, Matt Ryan and potentially Aaron Rodgers available, though the Steelers could likely stomach one more year of Roethlisberger—the franchise’s all-time leader in virtually every passing category—at the right price.
As for Roethlisbeger's magnanimous claim he isn't worried about compensation, the veteran has earned $252.7 million over the course of his career, trailing only Drew Brees ($273.9 million) and Tom Brady ($258.2 million) for the most in NFL history.
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