Art Rooney II: We can’t bring Ben Roethlisberger back at current cap hit

[Shoes]

Steelers president Art Rooney II said he would like Ben Roethlisberger to return for the 2021 season, but he acknowledged the team has to come to some agreement with their two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback over his significant salary-cap hit next season.


https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/...s/202101280157

[86WARD]

You don’t say?!?

[Edman]

The plug needs to be pulled.

Rebuilding has arrived. The sooner. The better.

[DesertSteel]

Ben said today that he's coming back and doesn't care about the money -- i.e., he'll restructure/ take less

[cubanstogie]

Ben said today that he's coming back and doesn't care about the money -- i.e., he'll restructure/ take less

will he carry a clipboard and wear baseball cap?

[DesertSteel]

will he carry a clipboard and wear baseball cap?

Maybe Ben will play the part of Trent Green and Rudolph or Haskins will play the part of Kurt Warner?

[Rotorhead]

I will take Ben back next year at a reduced salary cap hit, allowing us to restock the OL and resign some key FA’s for the future.

[Shoes]

Ben sure responded pretty quick after Rooney said this.

[DesertSteel]

I will take Ben back next year at a reduced salary cap hit, allowing us to restock the OL and resign some key FA’s for the future.

I'll take the Ben that throws 25-30 times a game and won 2 super bowls back. I haven't seen him in over 10 years.

[teegre]

Pay Ben what he is due (he is getting that whether he plays or not). Then, have Ben play this year for vet minimum. It’s a savings of $17.7 million for the team ($19 million his current contract would pay minus the $1.3 million for the vet minimum.)

I mean, if Ben is really willing to do “anything” to help the team win, then he should play for the as little as possible.

[Mojouw]

Pay Ben what he is due (he is getting that whether he plays or not). Then, have Ben play this year for vet minimum. It’s a savings of $17.7 million for the team ($19 million his current contract would pay minus the $1.3 million for the vet minimum.)

I mean, if Ben is really willing to do “anything” to help the team win, then he should play for the as little as possible.

IF he does that, my objections to him coming back mostly evaporate.

[DesertSteel]

Pay Ben what he is due (he is getting that whether he plays or not). Then, have Ben play this year for vet minimum. It’s a savings of $17.7 million for the team ($19 million his current contract would pay minus the $1.3 million for the vet minimum.)

I mean, if Ben is really willing to do “anything” to help the team win, then he should play for the as little as possible.

This plus add some really nice incentives tied to postseason success.

[hawaiiansteeler]

Steelers insider: Big Ben's return to Pittsburgh 'might not work out'

Allison Koehler
February 2, 2021

One only needs to look at the looming quarterback carousel set to go round-and-round to know that the Steelers situation with Ben Roethlisberger is a precarious one.

Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston. 2016 second-overall draft pick Carson Wentz will be competing for a starting job this offseason. 2018 third-overall pick Sam Darnold will be on the trading block. The 49ers are looking to move on from Jimmy Garroppolo.

Several teams will be in the market for a quarterback, whether via free agency or the NFL draft. One of those teams could include your Pittsburgh Steelers, pending Big Ben’s return.

Roethlisberger wants to return and knows it’ll be at a reduced salary. But it’s not as simple as that. He’s a future Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career. How much longer does he want to play for? What exactly will that reduced salary look like? What veterans will return to protect him in the pocket?

Longtime Steelers insider Ed Bouchette, a guest on 93.7 The Fan today, points out that Big Ben isn’t just going to play for nothing. “He said he didn’t care about his salary, but I don’t believe that for a minute,” Bouchette told The PM Team with Poni & Mueller. “They’re going to have to pay him where he’s not going to be embarrassed to come back and play. And I just don’t know if this is all going to work out. I’ve been told it still might not.”

to read rest of article:

https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/20...21-status-nfl/

[pczach]

Steelers insider: Big Ben's return to Pittsburgh 'might not work out'

Allison Koehler
February 2, 2021

One only needs to look at the looming quarterback carousel set to go round-and-round to know that the Steelers situation with Ben Roethlisberger is a precarious one.

Deshaun Watson wants out of Houston. 2016 second-overall draft pick Carson Wentz will be competing for a starting job this offseason. 2018 third-overall pick Sam Darnold will be on the trading block. The 49ers are looking to move on from Jimmy Garroppolo.

Several teams will be in the market for a quarterback, whether via free agency or the NFL draft. One of those teams could include your Pittsburgh Steelers, pending Big Ben’s return.

Roethlisberger wants to return and knows it’ll be at a reduced salary. But it’s not as simple as that. He’s a future Hall of Famer in the twilight of his career. How much longer does he want to play for? What exactly will that reduced salary look like? What veterans will return to protect him in the pocket?

Longtime Steelers insider Ed Bouchette, a guest on 93.7 The Fan today, points out that Big Ben isn’t just going to play for nothing. “He said he didn’t care about his salary, but I don’t believe that for a minute,” Bouchette told The PM Team with Poni & Mueller. “They’re going to have to pay him where he’s not going to be embarrassed to come back and play. And I just don’t know if this is all going to work out. I’ve been told it still might not.”

to read rest of article:

https://steelerswire.usatoday.com/20...21-status-nfl/

Who knows what's true or not. Only Ben and the team know what's really going on so I'm not sure what to think about Bouchette's opinion or what he thinks he really knows or pretends he knows. There is nothing definitive about what he is saying in this article. I think everyone understands that this might not work out for a number of reasons on both sides.

He's been a great player here for a long time, but if he doesn't do something to reduce his salary cap hit significantly, the team needs to move on. He's either part of the solution now, or he becomes part of the problem.

If they think Rudolph is really quality starter material or that Haskins could be the long-term answer, Ben doesn't have much leverage. The team could keep a couple key players or sign their best players to contracts with that cap savings.

[86WARD]

I just don’t see how they can make Ben and his cap hit work and still attempt to retain JuJu, Hilton or whomever. I think they just have to bite the bullet here and let him walk.

[EzraTank]

I'll take the Ben that throws 25-30 times a game and won 2 super bowls back. I haven't seen him in over 10 years.

Exactly. I get it, if we're losing to throw more but lets build a balanced offense and run the ball and make defenses actually have to defend EVERYTHING.