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.
Steelers working hard to complete a contact extension for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger before Thursday night’s NFL draft begins, per sources. The 37-year-old Roethlisberger is scheduled to be headed into the final year of his contract, but Pitt wants to retain him well beyond.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 23, 2019
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.
