Art Rooney II made it very clear that if Ben Roethlisberger is to be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ quarterback in 2021, his $41 million cap charge would have to change. And Roethlisberger is evidently receptive to the idea. According to a tweet-thread from The Athletic’s Ed Bouchette, Roethlisberger said he’s on the same page with what the team wants to do. And in doing so, seemed to imply 2021 would be his final year.
The type of restructure Roethlisberger and the Steelers have in mind is unclear. The odds of a true paycut still seem awfully low. Most likely, the two sides work out an extension. If Roethlisberger does plan on 2021 being his final season, adding voidable years in an extension would be the best thing for a team to reduce his cap hit as much as possible. Dave Bryan laid out that method in a post months ago.
While the details and future beyond 2021 are unclear, it’s obvious Ben Roethlisberger will be the Pittsburgh Steelers’ QB in 2021. He wants to come back and the team wants him to return. The only question is the best way to make it work. That should be hammered out before his March roster bonus is due, meaning we’ll get our answer in about six weeks. Stay tuned.
