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Around this time last year, we were wondering if Ben Roethlisberger was done playing football. Now, not only do we know Roethlisberger is going to be back for 2019, but the Steelers are actually planning to give him a contract extension, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN.
The two sides are aiming to have a deal done before March 13.
The contract would likely provide the Steelers with short-term salary relief while also adding years to Roethlisberger's deal.
Not to jump the gun here, but this may be a preemptive strike to create some cap room in the event that the team trades wide receiver Antonio Brown this offseason, as dealing Brown would result in over $21 million of dead money next season.
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Brown reportedly got into a heated argument with Roethlisberger at practice between Weeks 16 and 17, ultimately throwing a football at Roethlisberger before complaining of knee pain, refusing an MRI and then going AWOL on the team before ultimately getting benched by Mike Tomlin for Pittsburgh's season finale against the Cincinnati Bengals.
Roethlisberger, whose current contract ends after 2019, threw for a league-leading 5,129 yards, a career-high 34 touchdowns and a league-worst 16 interceptions while completing 67 percent of his passes and registering a passer rating of 96.5. That is certainly an interesting mix of numbers. It marked the second time that Roethlisberger has paced the NFL in passing yardage.
The 36-year-old has made six Pro Bowls during his 15-year NFL tenure, including four straight appearances from 2014 through 2017.
The Steelers went just 8-7-1 this season, suffering a devastating Week 16 loss to the New Orleans Saints that knocked them out of first place in the AFC North and opened the door for the Baltimore Ravens to win the division.
