Roethlisberger Eyeing 'Respect' of $20M Per Year from New Deal with Steelers

[polamalubeast]

The Pittsburgh Steelers will not be addressing quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's contract until after the 2014 NFL season.

Are the Steelers willing to pay Roethlisberger $20 million per season? Could the looming contract extension cause tension between Roethlisberger and the team?

Watch as Adam Lefkoe and Bleacher Report NFL insider Jason Cole discuss the latest buzz surrounding Big Ben's contract in the video above.



http://bleacherreport.com/articles/2143768-roethlisberger-eyeing-respect-of-20m-per-year-from-new-deal-with-steelers

[KeiselPower99]

Thank you Kaepernick and Cutler for this. When mediocre guys get outrageous deals it flows up hill.

[steelreserve]

Not to mention Flacco. Two-thirds of the QBs in the league can point at him and go "Well if HE'S getting $20M a year for chucking jump balls straight up in the air all day, I deserve even more because I can actually pass!" And they all have a good point.

What it really boils down to is this: In today's QB market, Ben is worth $20M, maybe a little more. We've got the ability to absorb that, because it's basically the same thing we're doing now. Except that giving it to him THIS season would make his cap hit more like $28M, so ... sorry, but if it didn't happen for Peyton Manning, it ain't happening for you. Or we could do a "cap-friendly" deal and have the final years of the deal be more like a $34 million cap hit, which would be even more stupid. You'll get your money, but you have to wait a year, or else bye-bye everyone else that we're counting on to make the team win again. The downside of signing all those restructures, right? It actually isn't just free money up front!

It'd be pretty stupid and shortsighted, now that we've finally clawed our way back to at least salary cap neutrality - after much acrimony and at a great expense of talent - to throw it all out the window to give the QB a raise two years early instead of one year early. Especially when it's basically a non-issue as far as I can tell. I don't think Ben is about to Mike Wallace the season over it, and contrary to the alarmist media reports, it's not going to be the Black Cloud of Mordor hanging over the team all season. More like a tiny bit of low-level grumbling, and a ton of click-baiting.

[86WARD]

Ben deserves it. Especially playing at a bargain of what? $12M this season?

[polamalubeast]

QB with a monster contract since last year


Flacco,Matt Ryan,Stafford,Romo,Rodgers,Kaerpernick and Cutler

[SteelMember]

Its not like quarterbacks are going to make any LESS next year. They should just get a deal done! He is, in many respects the team, making him more than worth it. I don't agree with the front office posturing sometimes.

[Psycho Ward 86]

he can justify getting a lot more, especially with us getting him for a bargain for a while now. Sucks, but thats life

[Mojouw]

Price tag will go up with every other QB contract that gets signed. Earlier this extension gets done, the better the terms for the team.