There’s now a 99% chance that Ben Roethlisberger will once again be under center for the Pittsburgh Steelers for at least one more season.
Steelers owner Art Rooney II confirmed on Wednesday morning that he wants Ben back.
In a statement released through Burt Lauten, the team’s director of communication, Rooney said:
Ben Roethlisberger and I met yesterday morning and we had a productive meeting. We were able to discuss a lot of things that relate to where we are and where we want to go. Ben assured me that he is committed to coming back to help us win, and I told Ben that we would like to have him back to help us win a Championship,” said Rooney.
But it isn’t a done deal yet, as Rooney puts in his last sentence, “We both understand that the next step is to work out Ben’s contract situation.”
That contract situation is a league-leading $41.2 million cap hit with a $19 million salary for 2021.
That money will likely be kicked down the road over a couple years with a restructuring.
NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala talked to Roethlisberger’s agent yesterday. He told her “the fire burns strong and there is plenty of gas in the tank.”
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With Roethlisberger likely returning, the Steelers have a lot they need to fix on the offensive side of the ball.
They’ll need a new center after Maurkice Pouncey announced his retirement and likely other offensive linemen.
They’ll also need to figure out a run game with the Steelers ranking toward the bottom in the NFL last season. And they need their receivers to hold on to the ball. Drops killed them last year.