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The Steelers, well aware that they may not have enough Ben Roethlisberger to bring him back for another year, suddenly appear to be ambivalent about an ongoing relationship. So if the Steelers decide to sever ties with Big Ben (and it’s still pretty big), he’s going to be a free agent.
The question then becomes whether he would continue his career with another team.
This is a topic he has never addressed. This was a topic that was never relevant before GM Kevin Colbert’s comments on Wednesday. Now it moves closer to the category.
If Ben is willing to explore another year or two with another team, the question becomes whether another team wants him. Myles Simmons and I browsed through the different options on Thursday PFT Live.
The only possible viable options, now that the Colts are being talked about, appear to be: Jets, Patriots, Texans (if they trade Deshaun Watson), Broncos, Raiders (if they trade Derek Carr, which seems very unlikely), Cowboys (if they let Dak Prescott run), Washington, Bears, Panthers, Saints, 49ers and Seahawks (if they trade Russell Wilson, which seems very unlikely). This is the broadest universe of undoubtedly realistic possibilities.
Even then, it’s hard to imagine a country rush popping up for a quarter that turns 39 on March 2nd.
Indeed, if it were to be believed that several teams would fight over a quarter of an hour that will earn only $ 19 million this year, Colbert’s remarks on Wednesday would spark a discussion about a possible deal in Roethlisberger. The fact that there have been no such reports yet suggests that the market may not be very strong if the Steelers cut Ben.