Just because a contract extension hasn’t been worked out yet with Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, doesn’t mean that process won’t happen at all this offseason.
According to Scott Brown of ESPN.com, there’s been talks already between the two sides.
“There’s been ongoing (contract) discussions for quite awhile,” 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.”
In the past with Roethlisberger, his contract has been extended two years prior to the old one expiring and that process has taken place during the spring as well. By it not happening this spring, it has caused several to surmise that an extension won’t get done at all this offseason.
As I wrote several months ago, the math tells us that a Roethlisberger extension will work this offseason and it would likely lower his cap hit in 2014 in the process, depending of course on the structure.
The Steelers also might very well be wanting to get extensions worked out with first with cornerback Cortez Allen and center Maurkice Pouncey in order to see how much left over cap space they have to work with when it comes to a new deal for Roethlisberger. Why? Well, because of his age, the more they can guarantee in year one of the new deal, 2014, the better.
This will continue to be talked about all offseason, but if an extension does get done with Roethlisberger, I wouldn’t look for it to happen until late in training camp.
