AtlantaDan
05-09-2019, 01:52 PM
SI.com with some background on how Ben's contract extension came together
Earlier this offseason, the quarterback’s camp thought it was best that Steelers owner Art Rooney II heard it from the man himself—Roethlisberger isn’t going anywhere. In the meeting, Roethlisberger pledged to Rooney that he planned to play at least three more years....
Last summer, as the Packers finalized a four-year, $134 million extension (https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/08/29/aaron-rodgers-contract-extension-packers) with Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers broke off talks with Roethlisberger on a new deal. The market had taken another jump, and Pittsburgh wanted to press pause, get through the season and reassess in 2019. That decision, in the end, wound up simplifying the negotiation by taking emotion out of it.
First, Roethlisberger taking on another 16 games of injury risk last season took the idea that he would take any sizeable hometown discount off the table. Second, Russell Wilson’s contract negotiation (https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/16/russell-wilson-seattle-seahawks-contract-extension-news-update), finished nine days before Roethlisberger’s, helped crystalize the fact that Rodgers’s deal was not an outlier, but another product of quickly moving market at the position (https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/16/russell-wilson-contract-extension-seattle-seahawks-quarterbacks).
Third, Roethlisberger’s desire to continue playing strengthened....
Where Roethlisberger’s contract extension numbers landed isn’t coincidental.
• His new money average is $34 million, a half-million more than Rodgers.
• He’s getting $66 million the next two years—more than the amount two tags would’ve gotten him in ’20 and ’21, and it’s coming a year earlier.
• He was due $17 million this year. He’s due $19 million in ’21—a $2 million bump there.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/05/09/quarterback-contract-extensions-ben-roethlisberger-steelers
IMO drafting Rudolph may end up being most significant for getting the message to Ben that the Steelers were prepared to move on unless they saw some definite commitment rather than the ongoing maybe I'll keep playing, maybe I won't.
Earlier this offseason, the quarterback’s camp thought it was best that Steelers owner Art Rooney II heard it from the man himself—Roethlisberger isn’t going anywhere. In the meeting, Roethlisberger pledged to Rooney that he planned to play at least three more years....
Last summer, as the Packers finalized a four-year, $134 million extension (https://www.si.com/nfl/2018/08/29/aaron-rodgers-contract-extension-packers) with Aaron Rodgers, the Steelers broke off talks with Roethlisberger on a new deal. The market had taken another jump, and Pittsburgh wanted to press pause, get through the season and reassess in 2019. That decision, in the end, wound up simplifying the negotiation by taking emotion out of it.
First, Roethlisberger taking on another 16 games of injury risk last season took the idea that he would take any sizeable hometown discount off the table. Second, Russell Wilson’s contract negotiation (https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/16/russell-wilson-seattle-seahawks-contract-extension-news-update), finished nine days before Roethlisberger’s, helped crystalize the fact that Rodgers’s deal was not an outlier, but another product of quickly moving market at the position (https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/04/16/russell-wilson-contract-extension-seattle-seahawks-quarterbacks).
Third, Roethlisberger’s desire to continue playing strengthened....
Where Roethlisberger’s contract extension numbers landed isn’t coincidental.
• His new money average is $34 million, a half-million more than Rodgers.
• He’s getting $66 million the next two years—more than the amount two tags would’ve gotten him in ’20 and ’21, and it’s coming a year earlier.
• He was due $17 million this year. He’s due $19 million in ’21—a $2 million bump there.
https://www.si.com/nfl/2019/05/09/quarterback-contract-extensions-ben-roethlisberger-steelers
IMO drafting Rudolph may end up being most significant for getting the message to Ben that the Steelers were prepared to move on unless they saw some definite commitment rather than the ongoing maybe I'll keep playing, maybe I won't.