PITTSBURGH, PA - DECEMBER 25: Ben Roethlisberger #7 of the Pittsburgh Steelers drops back to pass in the first half during the game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field on December 25, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Ben Roethlisberger wants to return to the Pittsburgh Steelers next season, and he is willing to work with them in order to achieve that goal.
The 38-year-old quarterback has made it known to the team that he wants to return for one more season. “I want to do everything I can and made that very clear to them from the very beginning,” the veteran quarterback said. “It was my idea to basically help the team however I can this year.”
Roethlisberger wants to return because he believes that he could lead them to a Super Bowl victory. The 38-year-old said, “I am pretty sure I want to go one more year because I think I can do it and give us a real chance of winning.” Big Ben has led the Steelers to two Super Bowl titles over his industrious career. But, he had one of his worst games in a long time when the Steelers were bounced from the playoff race by the Cleveland Browns on WildCard Weekend.
However, there is an issue that makes his return difficult. Pittsburgh is over the salary cap because of Roethlisberger’s contract. Roethlisberger’s current deal has him making a base of four million, $15 million in roster bonuses and carries a $41 million salary-cap hit. That last number puts the team over the salary cap, which is cause for concern.
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Team president and CEO Art Rooney II agreed that getting Roethlisberger back in the black and silver would be difficult. The team president said that he will work with the 38-year-old as the organization owes him. Rooney stated, “With Ben, we owe it to him to have a conversation about how he wants to end his career, and we intend to do that.”
In order to bring Roethlisberger back for one more season, the team has to assess his contract and ask if he will take a pay cut. Another option could to possibly do a contract extension to spread his salary into the 2022 season. The team has in the past worked with the veteran quarterback in restructuring his contract. “I think that those are discussions we’ll have with Ben and his representative,” said Rooney.
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