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“I believe we’ve been upfront with Ben in letting him know we couldn’t have him again beneath his present contract,” said Steelers team president, Artwork Rooney II, in his annual end-of-season speak with the media on Thursday.
Rooney, after all, was speaking about veteran quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his $41 million cap hit for 2021.
Yikes, simply studying that assertion from Rooney provides me flashbacks to the few occasions I’ve heard “We have to speak” in the course of the course of my grownup life—that not often ends effectively.
However typically it does and a love-affair can proceed.
Fortunately, when Artwork II made that assertion about his 17-year, two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback, he additionally acknowledged that he’d prefer to have him again however at a lowered cap value for 2021. The Steelers, as is often the case, are in cap hell and would really like some ice water within the type of a contract renegotiation with Roethlisberger. From his facet of issues, Roethlisberger seems to be leaning towards returning for an 18th season and mentioned in a textual content change with Ed Bouchette, a long-time Steelers insider at present with The Athletic, that he doesn’t care about his 2021 wage.
However does that imply Roethlisberger will come again at an precise lowered value or a man-made one within the type of a contract extension that can prorate what the staff owes him for 2021—$19 million—over the course of the subsequent few seasons?
I’m guessing the latter. If it’s the previous, Roethlisberger is likely to be enjoying subsequent season however for a special staff.
No, if the Steelers have been prepared to maneuver on from Roethlisberger, they wouldn’t be asking him to take a literal pay-cut. They’d merely encourage him to retire or do the unthinkable and launch him, thus saving themselves all $19 million. What could be the purpose of paying a person any type of wage—even a lowered determine—when you suppose he’s washed up? If you happen to’re satisfied Roethlisberger is completed, you would possibly as effectively pay Mason Rudolph the $1 million he’s owed on the ultimate yr of his rookie deal to be your quarterback subsequent season.
Clearly, the Steelers nonetheless suppose their franchise quarterback for the previous 17 years will be their franchise quarterback for an 18th.
That is excellent news. Now that we all know each events are keen to do what it takes to work collectively for an additional season, that’s step one. And in the event that they’re each publicly stating they’re keen to return to a compromise, I believe it’s a mere formality that they work one thing out.
Roethlisberger would be the Steelers’ quarterback for 2021. How a lot financial savings this contract renegotiation nets them is unclear, nevertheless it ought to be sufficient to permit them to do different enterprise and tweak different areas of their roster.
I understand that is an unpopular opinion amongst many Steelers’ devoted (for some unusual cause), however of all of the quarterbacks at present on the roster, Roethlisberger provides the staff the very best likelihood to compete in 2021. As for the quarterbacks not on the roster that folk have been eyeing from afar—Deshaun Watson, Matthew Stafford and Carson Wentz come to thoughts—one is completely unrealistic, one has already been dealt, whereas the opposite one won’t make the Steelers significantly better.
Cash won’t be an enormous deal for Watson subsequent season, however after that, his wage goes up large time. Apart from, what would Pittsburgh have to surrender in a commerce to amass him? And in terms of Wentz, do the Steelers need to make any form of monetary dedication to somebody who has seemingly fallen out of favor together with his present staff for varied causes?
As for Stafford? He was traded to the Rams, so at the very least that takes one such pipedream out of the equation.
For these clamoring for Roethlisberger to be gone, simple now. Check out the historical past of the NFL. What number of quarterbacks of Roethlisberger’s caliber have been changed with quarterbacks of Roethlisberger’s caliber? The reply is, not many.
You is likely to be prepared for the Steelers to blow all of it up and begin a rebuild, however I can’t for the lifetime of me work out why. Sports activities are leisure, and the Steelers have all the time been about placing the absolute best product on the sector. You would possibly say that they might re-sign gamers like Bud Dupree, JuJu Smith-Schuster and Mike Hilton in the event that they allowed Roethlisberger to stroll; nevertheless, these gamers have been right here with out No. 7 in 2019, and all it netted Pittsburgh was eight victories.
A rebuild sounds good in January, nevertheless it’s hell to witness in November. The Steelers will transfer on ultimately and start their future, however that future figures to be bleak for lots longer than many understand as soon as Roethlisberger is gone.
However we don’t need to witness that bleak future simply but. The Steelers and their franchise quarterback are nonetheless keen to work collectively for an additional season.
I believe that’s one thing to be enthusiastic about.
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