USA TODAY Sports
The red eyes and wet cheeks of Steelers fullback Ben Roethlisberger said a lot about his future. His decision to stay on the bench long after the match ended said a lot about his future. When he met with the media via a video conference following the Browns’ result on Sunday night, Roethlisberger did not say much about his future.
“Well, it’s going to start between me and God,” Roethlisberger said of the impending decision to continue playing. “Many prayed. And then, you know, a lot with my family, discussions, decisions. And you know, I have another year on my contract. I hope the Steelers want me back, if so. There will be a lot of discussions, but this is not the time for that. ”
The reference to a year on his contract, and to the Steelers wanting him back, was probably not an accident. Roethlisberger received $ 12.5 million he has not yet earned; if he retires, the Steelers have the right to ask it all back. If they cut him, he owes nothing.
“I hope the Steelers want me back,” he said. Its amount of $ 41.25 million becomes official on March 17, at a time when total team spending could reach $ 175 million. If they want to get him back, they have to sign an extension that will kick off the shell for a future year.
What if he says, ‘I’m just going to play out my contract’? The Steelers may have to release him to reduce his capital costs by $ 19 million. And then he would become a free agent and be able to join a new team if he wanted to.
It is impossible to imagine Roethlisberger in any other uniform. Just as it was impossible to imagine Tom Brady or Peyton Manning or Brett Favre or Philip Rivers in any other uniform. Maybe Ben will decide that he wants to keep playing, but that he wants a fresh start.
These are the options: (1) retire; (2) play; (3) compels a release to prevent $ 12.5 million from being owed and retiring; or (4) force a release and sign with another team.
This is a story that will move across the team and the league over the next two months. And if the Steelers finally move on, they’d better have a solid emergency plan in place, otherwise they could be left in the dust of the AFC North, as the division includes star quarters like Lamar Jackson, Baker Mayfield and Joe Burrow.