Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert had previously said the team would need to evaluate the quarterback position before making a decision on Ben Roethlisberger's future.
The longtime Steelers quarterback has said he is open to restructuring his contract. But Colbert seemed to leave the door open for a change under center.
However, it looks like Roethlisberger will indeed be the quarterback next season. Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reported Friday all sides seem to agree a restructured deal is the best path forward:
From NFL Now: The #Steelers will work out something with QB Ben Roethlisberger, thanks in part to confidence in his arm strength. pic.twitter.com/adkJ4ypKnQ
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) February 26, 2021
One of the reasons the Steelers plan on bringing Roethlisberger back is their belief in his arm strength.
Steelers president Art Rooney II said the organization feels Roethlisberger can still play at a high level, stressing the need to surround him with a strong supporting cast:
“His arm, I would say, is as strong or almost as strong as ever, so I think he's certainly capable of getting the job done,” Rooney said, via Bob Labriola of the team's website. “Part of the concern is putting a (competitive) team around him, and we had a good discussion about that. We know there are still a lot of pieces to the puzzle that still have to fall into place this season, and we're hard at work trying to make that happen.”
Granted, building that supporting cast might be difficult.
The Steelers are severely lacking in cap space. They also have notable free agents in offensive tackle Alejandro Villanueva, running back James Conner and wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, and could be in for quite the overhaul.
That said, there is still faith Roethlisberger can lead a winner in Pittsburgh.
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