UPDATE: Ben Roethlisberger, Pittsburgh Steelers renegotiate contract

[Shoes]

The Pittsburgh Steelers (http://www.nfl.com/teams/pittsburghsteelers/profile?team=PIT) and representatives for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (http://www.nfl.com/player/benroethlisberger/2506109/profile) have worked on renegotiating the two-time Super Bowl (http://www.nfl.com/superbowl/47) champion's contract, and an agreement could come by the end week, according to a source apprised of the process.


http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000145458/article/ben-roethlisberger-pittsburgh-steelers-renegotiating-contract

[Count Steeler]

Step 1.

[Mojouw]

I hope that they throw an extension in there as well. A restructure plus an additional year or two could really help to kick some of Ben's money down the road until after the new TV deal kicks in and the cap should go up each year, rather than remaining flat.

[86WARD]

Extension...yes please.

[polamalubeast]

Extension...yes please.

agree...I want a extension(as Tom Brady!!!!!)

[steelreserve]

While this is absolutely necessary in the short term, I wonder what it does to his cap number down the road. At this rate, the final year of his contract could make him the first player with a $100M cap hit.

[Psycho Ward 86]

While this is absolutely necessary in the short term, I wonder what it does to his cap number down the road. At this rate, the final year of his contract could make him the first player with a $100M cap hit.

yeah seriously. we need to draw a damn line in the sand at some point.

[X-Terminator]

While this is absolutely necessary in the short term, I wonder what it does to his cap number down the road. At this rate, the final year of his contract could make him the first player with a $100M cap hit.

If it's a true renegotiation, he will be getting a brand new contract with a new cap hit. His current contract would be ripped up.

[steelreserve]

If it's a true renegotiation, he will be getting a brand new contract with a new cap hit. His current contract would be ripped up.

Yeah, but we'd still be carrying all the funny money from the signing bonuses we've paid out over the years; it doesn't go away no matter what, even if the player falls into a volcano and dies. I seriously wonder what the total amount of money is that we're "prorating" with signing bonuses on Ben's deal. He's been restructured 3 or 4 times on a deal averaging what, $18M, so I wouldn't be surprised if that amount is close to $60 million by now.

Just by multiplying it out, if they converted all but a minimal amount of his base salary into signing bonuses every year for the life of the contract ... the cap number in the final year would be $3M+$3.6M+$4.5M+$6M+$9M+$18M = $44.1 million. Throw another 5 or 6 mil in there if they extended it another year. Yikes.

[86WARD]

Deal is done and it reportedly saves $3M cap space.

[Psycho Ward 86]

Yeah, but we'd still be carrying all the funny money from the signing bonuses we've paid out over the years; it doesn't go away no matter what, even if the player falls into a volcano and dies. I seriously wonder what the total amount of money is that we're "prorating" with signing bonuses on Ben's deal. He's been restructured 3 or 4 times on a deal averaging what, $18M, so I wouldn't be surprised if that amount is close to $60 million by now.

Just by multiplying it out, if they converted all but a minimal amount of his base salary into signing bonuses every year for the life of the contract ... the cap number in the final year would be $3M+$3.6M+$4.5M+$6M+$9M+$18M = $44.1 million. Throw another 5 or 6 mil in there if they extended it another year. Yikes.

QFT. sorry, but people who just dont see the danger here just dont see much at all. our worst cap situations are likely yet to come. this offseason was a great opportunity to purge that deficit away, but so far it looks like were just working to keep that "superbowl window" open in hopes of short term success. hope it pays off, because if it doesnt, were going to left with no ben/regressing ben + a god awful salary cap.

[zulater]

QFT. sorry, but people who just dont see the danger here just dont see much at all. our worst cap situations are likely yet to come. this offseason was a great opportunity to purge that deficit away, but so far it looks like were just working to keep that "superbowl window" open in hopes of short term success. hope it pays off, because if it doesnt, were going to left with no ben/regressing ben + a god awful salary cap.

When Ben's done it probably wouldn't be a bad idea to be terrible for a year or two so we would have a chance to draft out next franchise quarterback, similiar to what happened with the Colts i.e. the Manning to Luck transistion.

But if you can delay the so called inevitable "cap correction" long enough to take advantage of what's left of Ben's prime you'd be an idiot not to.

Put it this way, if you can keep Harrison, and Troy for another year, figure out a way to keep Lewis, and you find yourself in next year's Super Bowl, are you crying because the team might have big cap problems in 2015? Really?!

[polamalubeast]

Deal is done and it reportedly saves $3M cap space.

6 millions.....

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer

[zulater]

6 millions.....

https://twitter.com/AlbertBreer

http://www.nfl.com/news/story/0ap1000000145958/article/ben-roethlisberger-restructures-with-steelers

Yep, saying 6 million here too.

[Psycho Ward 86]

how much over are we still over? anyone know?

[zulater]

how much over are we still over? anyone know?

http://espn.go.com/blog/afcnorth/post/_/id/66176/effects-of-big-bens-restructured-contract

How does this help the Steelers? Pittsburgh now should be close to being under the salary cap. The Steelers were reportedly $14 million over the cap, and if my math is correct, they have created $14 million in cap space by restructuring the contracts of Roethlisberger, linebacker Lawrence Timmons and wide receiver Antonio Brown. There is still more work to be done. The team needs to gain more cap room because it needs to tender contracts to restricted free agents (like wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders) and sign other free agents (potentially wide receiver Steve Breaston).

How does this help Roethlisberger? Restructuring Roethlisberger's contract decreases his salary-cap number in 2013 but it inflates it for the 2014 and 2015 seasons. His cap number next season is projected to be around $18 million. At that point, with two years remaining on that deal, the Steelers would likely approach Roethlisberger about a new contract in 2014. Just don't expect it to be such a team-friendly deal as the one signed by Brady earlier this week.

[86WARD]

Bouchette has changed from 3-6 as well. A little better sounding!!

Ben's 2013 cap charges now should be $13,595,000

2014 $18,895,000

2015 $18,395,000 #steelers

[zulater]

Bouchette has changed from 3-6 as well. A little better sounding!!

Ben's 2013 cap charges now should be $13,595,000

2014 $18,895,000

2015 $18,395,000 #steelers
They'll alleviate Ben's cap hit in 14 & 15 by extending him after this season is over.

[Bluecoat96]

They'll alleviate Ben's cap hit in 14 & 15 by extending him after this season is over.

Geez....it's like the Steeler front office guys know what they're doing or something. :rolleyes:

[steelreserve]

I think the bottom line is, at the end of whenever Ben's done playing, there's going to be one god-awful year where we eat like $30-40 million, and that'll be he end of it. Although thankfully by that time, we won't have the Woodley contract albatross around our necks.

I found it interesting that so far, Woodley's awful cap hit is the one they haven't touched. If they can find a way through this without restructuring him (which would lock us into the rest of his contract at something like $15M a year), I wonder if their strategy isn't to just suffer through it this year so it's possible to cut him next offseason if he doesn't perform, without eating $20M+ in dead money.

[Psycho Ward 86]

I think the bottom line is, at the end of whenever Ben's done playing, there's going to be one god-awful year where we eat like $30-40 million, and that'll be he end of it. Although thankfully by that time, we won't have the Woodley contract albatross around our necks.

I found it interesting that so far, Woodley's awful cap hit is the one they haven't touched. If they can find a way through this without restructuring him (which would lock us into the rest of his contract at something like $15M a year), I wonder if their strategy isn't to just suffer through it this year so it's possible to cut him next offseason if he doesn't perform, without eating $20M+ in dead money.

and when do you anticipate that to happen [ben retiring]? that god awful year where we eat an astronomical amount of cap space is probably going to happen while ben's still playing for us. theres articles floating around that said theyre trying to restructure woodley as well. and too late for that, he's already ridiculously painful to cut anyways. also not sure where all the sass and confidence about our front office is coming from. people still think belligerently restructuring for eternity is an ageless technique :lol:? were still going to lose buckets of important players this offseason folks, and we've been drafting like chumps for so many consecutive years that we/ve had to cling onto so many aging/declining players that we shouldnt need so much anymore. therein lies the problem.

the mentality im seeing from so many people lately is:

bad drafting + perennially one of the worst cap deficits in the league + in position to lose many young, core players = SEEMS LEGIT. omg omg omg our front office is a bunch of geniuses that dont make the mistakes other organizations do :lol:

[86WARD]

Lol. That great 2008 Mendenhall draft class is going to start paying off now...

Setting the team back...a few seasons with that class...or lack there of. Basically in 2008...there was no class.

[zulater]

and when do you anticipate that to happen [ben retiring]? that god awful year where we eat an astronomical amount of cap space is probably going to happen while ben's still playing for us. theres articles floating around that said theyre trying to restructure woodley as well. and too late for that, he's already ridiculously painful to cut anyways. also not sure where all the sass and confidence about our front office is coming from. people still think belligerently restructuring for eternity is an ageless technique :lol:? were still going to lose buckets of important players this offseason folks, and we've been drafting like chumps for so many consecutive years that we/ve had to cling onto so many aging/declining players that we shouldnt need so much anymore. therein lies the problem.

the mentality im seeing from so many people lately is:

bad drafting + perennially one of the worst cap deficits in the league + in position to lose many young, core players = SEEMS LEGIT. omg omg omg our front office is a bunch of geniuses that dont make the mistakes other organizations do :lol:

No one's saying they don't make mistakes. And obviously we all hope for more from our recent and future drafts. But we also know this isn't a team made up of nitwits in the hiearchy. And we also know this is a team that's won 12 games in three of the last 5 seasons. so your assertion that they're total incompetents rings hollow.

[dislocatedday]

and when do you anticipate that to happen [ben retiring]? that god awful year where we eat an astronomical amount of cap space is probably going to happen while ben's still playing for us. theres articles floating around that said theyre trying to restructure woodley as well. and too late for that, he's already ridiculously painful to cut anyways. also not sure where all the sass and confidence about our front office is coming from. people still think belligerently restructuring for eternity is an ageless technique :lol:? were still going to lose buckets of important players this offseason folks, and we've been drafting like chumps for so many consecutive years that we/ve had to cling onto so many aging/declining players that we shouldnt need so much anymore. therein lies the problem.

the mentality im seeing from so many people lately is:

bad drafting + perennially one of the worst cap deficits in the league + in position to lose many young, core players = SEEMS LEGIT. omg omg omg our front office is a bunch of geniuses that dont make the mistakes other organizations do :lol:

The following high paid players will all come off the books within the next three years in all likelihood, and any dead money ($$$ they count against the cap after leaving the team if they are cut) will be non-existent at that point:

James Harrison, Troy, Willie Colon, Ike Taylor, Ryan Clark

That's significant money that will be available for the Steelers to use even with Ben, Antonio, and Timmons counting more against the cap in future years.

I agree that the team needs to start getting some more production out of its recent draft classes, but I don't have a feeling that the team is going to hit rock bottom in a couple years or anything like that because of cap issues. I think the hard decisions are this year, and I still think Harrison at a minimum is going to get cut just because the team still needs to get further below the cap.

[steelreserve]

and when do you anticipate that to happen [ben retiring]? that god awful year where we eat an astronomical amount of cap space is probably going to happen while ben's still playing for us. theres articles floating around that said theyre trying to restructure woodley as well. and too late for that, he's already ridiculously painful to cut anyways. also not sure where all the sass and confidence about our front office is coming from. people still think belligerently restructuring for eternity is an ageless technique :lol:? were still going to lose buckets of important players this offseason folks, and we've been drafting like chumps for so many consecutive years that we/ve had to cling onto so many aging/declining players that we shouldnt need so much anymore. therein lies the problem.

the mentality im seeing from so many people lately is:

bad drafting + perennially one of the worst cap deficits in the league + in position to lose many young, core players = SEEMS LEGIT. omg omg omg our front office is a bunch of geniuses that dont make the mistakes other organizations do :lol:

That's not what i think at all; where on earth did you get that idea? I think we're kicking the can down the road with all these restructures and it's dangerous.

Ben is the one guy it might be a little less dangerous for, because we're fairly certain he'll play for at least 4-5 more years and that gives us room to stretch it out a little. Although there's still a limit to that, which we are pushing; I wouldn't recommend doing it again even once more. As for the other players, we've done it to excess and we're seeing the results of it now. It's like trying to get out of debt by putting everything on a different credit card while continuing to spend money as fast as you make it.

[Psycho Ward 86]

That's not what i think at all; where on earth did you get that idea? I think we're kicking the can down the road with all these restructures and it's dangerous.

Ben is the one guy it might be a little less dangerous for, because we're fairly certain he'll play for at least 4-5 more years and that gives us room to stretch it out a little. Although there's still a limit to that, which we are pushing; I wouldn't recommend doing it again even once more. As for the other players, we've done it to excess and we're seeing the results of it now. It's like trying to get out of debt by putting everything on a different credit card while continuing to spend money as fast as you make it.

sorry that wasnt directed at anybody specific, just the 1st question was lol, i just kind of ranted the rest to the public in general

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No one's saying they don't make mistakes. And obviously we all hope for more from our recent and future drafts. But we also know this isn't a team made up of nitwits in the hiearchy. And we also know this is a team that's won 12 games in three of the last 5 seasons. so your assertion that they're total incompetents rings hollow.

never said theyre totally incompetent, just throwing out the crazy fact out there that they actually make some mistakes. this is seriously like the 5th offseason in a row where people keep singing their praises about the FO because all they did was restructure/snowball monster contracts into the future when it gets really ugly

[zulater]

sorry that wasnt directed at anybody specific, just the 1st question was lol, i just kind of ranted the rest to the public in general

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never said theyre totally incompetent, just throwing out the crazy fact out there that they actually make some mistakes. this is seriously like the 5th offseason in a row where people keep singing their praises about the FO because all they did was restructure/snowball monster contracts into the future when it gets really ugly

So in 3 years if the Steelers have three 10+ win seasons, advanced in the playoffs every year, and have added a Super Bowl who really gives a shit if it gets "ugly" in 2017?

Not saying that's going to happen. But right now their goal is to win in the now. And when you consider that you have a franchise qb at or near his prime that seems like a sensible thing to me.