Ben Roethlisberger could get legitimate contract extension

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers have come to the conclusion that they will join forces again in 2021. With the more difficult part out of the way, the Steelers can just slap a few years of vacuum on Ben’s deal and finish it off, right? Not so fast. The Pittsburgh Steelers never put voidable years on a contract, ever. So if Ben Roethlisberger wants to come back in 2021, I think it’s much more likely that legitimate playable years will be added at the end of his deal.

It’s pretty easy to explain why. With voidable years, the Steelers would essentially be pumping money into future heading shots without having the player on the roster. With real extension however, Ben Roethlisberger can choose to retire when he sees fit, but the two sides could agree to work together for at least another season.

It’s also very clear that Steelers president Art Rooney II has a very special connection to the Steelers quarterback. Rooney has personally given Roethlisberger his approval to return in 2021 and beyond. Regardless of who wanted to make a difference in the front office, Rooney himself has the most power within the organization. Whatever he says, and from the outside, it looks like Rooney isn’t ready to part the Steelers and Ben Roethlisberger until Roethlisberger is ready to hang up his studs himself.

A true extension can also save the Steelers $ 14,340,000 on the salary cap in 2021. Whatever salary the two sides agree on for years to come, that money will count. But crafting a deal like this could still take the Steelers to about $ 7,000,000 above the salary cap. That doesn’t necessarily mean Roethlisberger will play another season after 2021, but if his level of play is good enough and Ben wants to keep adding a legitimate year or two, the door would remain open if both sides chose him. Adding a salary component to each year keeps Roethlisberger linked to the Steelers if both parties agree and doesn’t change anything if Roethlisberger chooses to retire before the contract ends.

While some people will cringe at the thought of several years of Ben Roethlisberger leading the Steelers offense, I have to remind you what he was up against once the Steelers hit their season-ending meltdown. . Namely his offensive coordinator lacked creativity and was extremely predictable, with the Steelers’ running attack ranked low in the league, Ben reportedly struggled with both knee injuries he spent the 2020 offseason. in rehab and his offensive line has declined. The Steelers have already started the process of fixing some of these issues, and with a solid draft they can give Roethlisberger the plan and talent to improve this year.

But what do you think? Would the Steelers break the tradition of never using voidable years in Roethlisberger’s next contract? Will he play after 2021? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.