NFL Free Agency: Ben Roethlisberger, Steelers continue contract talks
By Matt Shetler
As the Pittsburgh Steelers get ready for the 2014 NFL Draft and try to plug other holes on the team via free agency, there is still the issue of a contract extension for franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that has to be near or at the top of Steelers’ general manager Kevin Colbert’s priority list.
Dec 29, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) reacts at the line of scrimmage against the Cleveland Browns during the third quarter at Heinz Field. The Steelers won 20-7. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Roethlisberger currently has two years left on the $102 million deal he signed in 2008, which coincidently is the same number of years he had remaining on his rookie contract when he and the Steelers agreed to the deal that made him the highest-paid player in franchise history.
By now you figured a deal would have been done as traditionally this is the time the Steelers like to extend the deals of quarterbacks, but all has seemed quiet on the Roethlisberger front.
Big Ben is likely to command a deal that will pay him an average of $20 million per season, which compared to the recent contract extensions of Jay Cutler and Joe Flacco would seem like a bargain, especially following the season that Roethlisberger put up in 2013.
However according to Roethlisberger’s agent, talks have been going on for some time now.
"“There’s been ongoing (contract) discussions for quite a while,” Ryan Tollner, Roethlisberger’s agent, told ESPN.com. “I think from the time we did the first extension there was sort of a plan moving forward. There’s a plan in place, but both sides are pretty committed to doing that privately and not having it be something that’s discussed in the media.”"
Both sides want to see Big Ben retire in a Steelers uniform, so this is something that needs to get done, but also something that can help the team out in the short-term.
The Steelers can lower Roethlisberger’s $18.9 million cap hit with a new deal, but they are in a position where they can wait to get a new deal done.
They have likely done all of their free agent shopping for the year and also get $8 million in cap relief on June 1.
That could mean a new deal is coming Roethlisberger’s way this summer or the Steelers may try and roll the dice and wait until the beginning of the following season.
However at the end of the day, this is something that still needs to be one of the Steelers top priorities heading into the 2014 season.