Bigger contract awaits Big Ben
PITTSBURGH – In Indianapolis, the Colts and Andrew Luck are reportedly working on a deal that will make Luck the highest-paid quarterback in the NFL.
Seattle, meanwhile, could be faced with giving quarterback Russell Wilson a substantial raise, particularly if he leads the Seahawks to a second straight Super Bowl victory Sunday.
Those two situations will be closely watched in Pittsburgh, where quarterback Ben Roethlisberger will get an extension that will allow the soon-to-be 33-year-old to finish his career with the Steelers.
The Steelers won’t be swayed by the deals given to Luck or Wilson if they happen before Roethlisberger’s contract extension is completed.
“I don’t think we are going to let somebody else’s situation dictate our timing,” said team president Art Rooney II. “The sooner (the deal gets done) the better from a lot of different standpoints. But it is kind of hard to try to do something in reaction to somebody else’s timing or somebody else’s decision. We just have to deal with the circumstances as they present themselves.
“Obviously, Ben’s people will be happy to point out any big contracts that might be done in this time frame. Those are the normal kind of discussions that take place in these situations.”
What to pay a quarterback reaching the end of his career will be the tricky part.
While Luck and Wilson are each in their mid-20s, Roethlisberger’s situation more closely resembles that of New England’s Tom Brady, who signed a deal in 2013 that many felt had a “hometown discount.”
Brady, then 35, received a $30-million signing bonus to be paid over three years – the final installment is due next month – and $57 million in fully guaranteed salary.
Unlike the other major sports, NFL salaries are rarely guaranteed, meaning if a player is released, he is not entitled to the remainder of his contract.
Brady is scheduled to earn a base salary of $8 million in 2015 with a total cap value of $14 million. In actual money, he will receive $18 million when his $10 million bonus is factored in.
Roethlisberger is coming off perhaps his best statistical season in his 11-year-career with the Steelers, who selected him in the first round of the 2004 draft.
He matched New Orleans’ Drew Brees for the league lead in passing yards with a team-record 4,952 while also throwing 32 touchdown passes against nine interceptions.
Despite winning the AFC North title, the Steelers were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round with a 30-17 loss to Baltimore and have not won a postseason game since 2010.
A two-time Super Bowl winner and three-time participant, Roethlisberger signed an 8-year, $102-million contract extension in 2008. The Steelers renegotiated the deal several times over the years to create additional salary cap space. Roethlisberger is scheduled to count $18.4 million against their 2015 salary cap despite having a base salary of $11.6 million.
In terms of a cap hit, Roethlisberger’s salary ranks sixth in the league behind Tony Romo of Dallas, Brees, Denver’s Peyton Manning, Eli Manning of the Giants and Atlanta’s Matt Ryan.
In actual salary and bonuses to be paid in 2015, he is tied with Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers at 11th, making less money than players such as Chicago’s Jay Cutler, Cam Newton of Carolina and Alex Smith of Kansas City.
The NFL salary cap is expected to rise to at least $140 million in 2015, with some forecasting it at at least $143 million. The exact figure will be released in February.
The Steelers are currently at $142.26 million, according to Overthecap,com, but that is an inexact number. That total also includes the contracts of safety Troy Polamalu ($8.25 million), defensive lineman Cam Thomas ($2.5) and receiver Lance Moore ($1.5). Polamalu could retire this offseason, and Thomas and Moore could be released.
All teams must be under the 2015 salary cap by March 10, when the free agent period begins.
A potential new deal for Roethlisberger also would likely decrease his $18.4-million cap hit for 2015, saving the Steelers some cap space that would allow Pittsburgh to be active on the free agent market.
“We need to know what the final (cap) number is going to be,” said Rooney in regards to free agents. “I think our approach will be similar to the way it has always been. We will look at different opportunities.
“Certainly, to fill out a roster, you have to sign some free agents. We will be in the market in some way.”
But much will depend on Roethlisberger’s deal.
Rooney said negotiations with Roethlisberger’s agent, Ryan Tollner, have not begun. But they should heat up soon after the Super Bowl.
“It’s hard to put a time frame on it,” Rooney said. “You never know how long some of these things can take. All I can say is sooner rather than later.”