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When Jerome Bettis returned for another year with the Steelers, it made sense. They had a team that was close to winning a Super Bowl, and in that year they still did.
As Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger consider the possibility of another year together, here’s some free advice to both: do not do it.
The Steelers of 2021 are not close enough to a Super Bowl to make another year worthwhile. The Steelers of 2021 have too many problems, thanks to the confluence of a shrinking salary ceiling and years of kicking the cap.
The Steelers already had a minimum bill of $ 22.25 million related to last year’s hocus-pocus played with Roethlisberger’s contract.
He said: “I do not care about my payment at all this year.” Even if he reduces his remuneration from $ 19 million to the minimum minimum amount of $ 1,075 million, he will consume $ 23,325 million in the capital space. As previously stated, an extension that converts his salary of more than $ 1,075 million into a signing bonus, Ben can get his $ 19 million, while the capitalization figure is at $ 26.73 million, can be accepted as a three-year extension .
The Steelers are apparently waiting to do something for one very simple reason: they do not know what the 2021 hood number will be. Which means they do not know how much money they need to sign up their other players, or to attract free agents in which they are interested.
The problem for the Steelers stems from the fact that Roethlisberger earned a $ 15 million roster bonus on March 19th. The Steelers will therefore have to move quickly with Ben’s contract once they know what the cap will be. Chiefs owner Clark Hunt said it would only be hours before all teams had to be under it.
The best step, assuming the Steelers retain Roethlisberger, is to draw up a series of preliminary agreements in advance based on the final amount, with different salaries or restructurings if it is $ 175 million (it could not be lower ), $ 176 million, $ 177 million, $ 178 million, and so on, up to the 2020 figure of $ 198.2 million. Once the limit is set, Ben’s transaction is done again based on the predetermined review of the contract.
This apparently did not happen. Maybe it will not. Maybe the Steelers are simply looking for the right way to move on from Roethlisberger, without being considered the villain.
If they indeed agree with the objective assessment that a Super Bowl run in 2021 is unlikely (given the presence of teams like the Chiefs, Bills, Ravens and – yes – Browns), it makes a lot of sense to remove the Band-Aid . start in one move and determine the future of the franchise to Ben.
Whatever the plan, they need a good plan. With Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow and Baker Mayfield in the AFC North, the Steelers can quickly get lost in the dust in their division if they try to find Mason Rudolph or Dwayne Haskins or whoever they are in a free agency, forward to go.
Regardless, a decision to keep Roethlisberger could lead to regret. Even if he stays healthy all year, it could be a long year for a Steelers team that will look very different from 2020, due to the current shrinking of the cap and the previous freedoms Steelers had. Perhaps it makes more sense to see what Rudolph and / or Haskins can do in 2021, and then, if necessary, look for the next Ben in the 2022 concept.