Steelers extend Ben

[polamalubeast]

Ian Rapoport @RapSheet · 5m 5 minutes ago
The #Steelers signed QB Ben Roethlisberger to a 5-year deal worth $99M that can escalate to $108M, source said. Big-time deal.

https://twitter.com/RapSheet/status/576738407256190978

[tube517]

This was retweeted by Steelers Depot about that Jackhole, Rapafart's "reporting" in 2013......

[Lady Steel]

Come on now, who really thought this wasn't going to happen?

There were actually a lot of dumbasses out there who thought Ben would be traded. Maybe not on this board, but on others, yeah. Those know-it-alls (not!) should have kept their yaps shut for a change and tried listening to what Ben and the Steelers were saying all along.

I was thrilled when I heard this was finally a done deal. Congratulations, Ben! Let's go win #7!

[86WARD]

Just read that Ben gets a record $65M in 1st 3yrs of deal. Only freed up $1M in cap space.

Top QB earnings over 1st 3 yrs of their new contracts: Big Ben - $65M Ryan - $63M Rodgers - $62.5M Flacco - $62M Brees - $61M

Top fully guaranteed for QBS at time of signing: Roethlisberger - $60.75M Brees - $60.15M Ryan - $59M Rodgers - $54M Flacco - $51M

Avg/yr marks for QBS updated after Ben's deal: Rodgers - $22M Roethlisberger - $21.9M Ryan - $20.75M Flacco- $20.1M Brees - $20M

[Butch]

I have always been a big fan of Ben, from the day he took over for Tommy Gun and damn near brought us back in that game. I also remember him bringing us back late against the cowboys and that is when I knew we had someone truly special. The fact that his only loss that year was to a team that cheated speaks volumes and he still doesn't get the credit he deserves for all that he did in only his rookie year. Did he have a good team? Yes, but they were still only a good team that was not great until he came along.

We were lucky to get Ben, and I have always said "I would rather be lucky than good".

The year we beat the cardinals in the Superbowl was a very good year as well. Throughout the year we would be behind late in the game and Ben would always find a way to bring us back. I remember in the superbowl when fitz scored and I was thinking "Damn", but then I looked at the time on the clock and I looked over at my son and said "look at the time left...we got this". Ben had been bringing us back all year long how fitting that he had to do it in the superbowl. I would argue he was just as much the MVP as Santonio, and I would put James in that group as well.

Yep he may not be what others call "Elite", but I wouldn't have wanted any other QB than Ben. FWIW I think he is "Elite" just not in the way most would be willing to think of it.

I am glad he is signed to a nice contract, and I am looking forward to what is to come.

[stillers4me]

I'm just grateful to both sides for getting this done early. We didn't need this dragging on all summer into training camp.

[86WARD]

I have always been a big fan of Ben, from the day he took over for Tommy Gun and damn near brought us back in that game. I also remember him bringing us back late against the cowboys and that is when I knew we had someone truly special. The fact that his only loss that year was to a team that cheated speaks volumes and he still doesn't get the credit he deserves for all that he did in only his rookie year. Did he have a good team? Yes, but they were still only a good team that was not great until he came along.

We were lucky to get Ben, and I have always said "I would rather be lucky than good".

The year we beat the cardinals in the Superbowl was a very good year as well. Throughout the year we would be behind late in the game and Ben would always find a way to bring us back. I remember in the superbowl when fitz scored and I was thinking "Damn", but then I looked at the time on the clock and I looked over at my son and said "look at the time left...we got this". Ben had been bringing us back all year long how fitting that he had to do it in the superbowl. I would argue he was just as much the MVP as Santonio, and I would put James in that group as well.

Yep he may not be what others call "Elite", but I wouldn't have wanted any other QB than Ben. FWIW I think he is "Elite" just not in the way most would be willing to think of it.

I am glad he is signed to a nice contract, and I am looking forward to what is to come.

He's Elite...but he doesn't get the hype that comes with an elite QB, so he gets over looked on a frequent basis. He's a Top-4 QB in this league...in a group with Rodgers, Brady, Brees. At this stage, physically, I think he's better than Peyton. He's far and away better than the newcomers at this time. Luck and Wilson have nothing on him. He's better than his fellow draft QBs...

I laugh when people said Wilson and Luck are better...they weren't. Not at this time.

[Mojouw]

Having Ben play his rugged and improvisational style behind some rather poor offensive lines and skill position players who (at least collectively) were not always that great is what allowed the Steelers to field basically a Pro Bowl team on the other side of the ball. While other QBs put up better raw #'s then Ben, trade places and see what happens.

I argue that no other QB from Ben's draft class would have had the success he has had with the Steelers given the same circumstances. In terms of other "elite" QBs, maybe on Rogers and Luck. Both seem to have the toughness, and flexibility to improvise that has been necessary for Ben to win as often as he has up to this point.

Now that he has the best offensive line and best skill players (collectively) than at any other point of his career, be interesting to see if we get a 2-4 year run where Ben puts up #'s on par with the other elite guys. He certainly did last year.

Combine that run (assuming it nets another Lombardi) with the run he had earlier in his career - winning with two different styles? Then your looking at one of the best QBs of his generation. Ben is the closest thing the league has had to Favre since Favre retired.