The 2019 NFL Draft will get underway Thursday night in Nashville, TN and according to a Tuesday report from Adam Schefter of ESPN, the Pittsburgh Steelers hope to have quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed to a contract extension by then
According to Schefter, the Steelers are working hard to complete a contact extension for Roethlisberger before Thursday night’s NFL draft begins, per sources of his.
The Steelers failed to get Roethlisberger signed to an extension earlier this offseason and specifically before his $5 million roster bonus was due him by the third day of the new league year. Since that time, the Seattle Seahawks have signed their franchise quarterback, Russell Wilson, to a four year contract extension worth $140 million that reportedly includes $107 million in guarantees, of which $70 million was fully guaranteed at signing. Wilson’s fully guaranteed money at signing was reportedly $65 million signing bonus and a $5 million base salary in 2019.
Wilson’s new deal has a new money average of $35 million, which makes him the highest paid player in the NFL. Behind Wilson sits Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers at $33.5 million per season and behind him is Atlanta Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan at $30 million per season.
Roethlisberger’s new contract figures to carry a new money average of more than $30 million per season and might even barely top Wilson’s $35 million per year average. Currently, Roethlisberger is closing out a contract that averaged $21.85 million per season. He is currently scheduled to earn a base salary of $12 million this upcoming season which would bring his scheduled 2019 earnings to $17 million.
For 2019, Roethlisberger’s cap charge is currently scheduled to be $23.2 million with $6.2 million of that being previous bonus proration.
