Like much of the success on the football field, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ offseason will depend on the quarterback.

Whether Ben Roethlisberger returns for an 18th season will be the biggest issue the Steelers face as they begin plotting a course for 2021.

Beyond the franchise’s quarterback’s declining play down the stretch, Roethlisberger’s age, contract and the salary cap implications are challenges the Steelers must deal with coming off their 48-37 loss Sunday night to the Cleveland Browns in an AFC wild-card game.

After throwing four interceptions in the first nine games, Roethlisberger had that many against the Browns, who turned those gifts into a 28-0 lead en route to the upset victory at Heinz Field. In his final seven games, counting the playoff loss, Roethlisberger threw 10 interceptions and only once did he have a passer rating above 90.

Coach Mike Tomlin said he believes his quarterback still can compete at the NFL level after Roethlisberger threw for 501 yards, four touchdowns and four interceptions against the Browns.

Roethlisberger’s ability to rebound at age 39 in 2021 is just one part of the equation. As he enters the final year of his contract, Roethlisberger is due a $15 million roster bonus plus a $4 million in base salary. But because of the Steelers restructuring his contract in recent years, his salary cap figure of $41.25 million is unwieldy, to say the least.

Under the 2020 salary cap of $198 million, it would have accounted for 20% of the team’s space. But the salary cap could drop as low as $175 million next year because of declining revenues caused by the coronavirus pandemic, making Roethlisberger’s cap figure account for nearly 24% of the Steelers’ figure.

Releasing Roethlisberger would save $19 million in cash, but it still would leave the Steelers on the hook for $22.25 million in dead money — or funds that still would count against the salary-cap total even if the quarterback decides to retire. The Steelers could rip up the final year of Roethlisberger’s contract and give him a new one, but that would be a case of kicking the proverbial can down the road.

“Teams are never the same,” Roethlisberger acknowledged after the game. “Whether it’s free agents, draft picks, trades, whatever it is. That’s the hardest thing about this business. You lose some really good friends. Things always look different. Yeah, we anticipate it looking different.”

Experts at manipulating the salary cap for decades, the Steelers are in their biggest predicament since free agency began in the early 1990s. Including Roethlisberger, the Steelers have 54 players under contract for 2021 at a cap hit of $202.5 million, according to salary-cap tracking web site spotrac.com.

That total doesn’t include the 19 players who will become free agents in March, plus tight end Vance McDonald, whose contract carries a $6.55 million club option that almost certainly will be declined.

Of those impending free agents, 11 were starters at some point during this past season, including outside linebacker Bud Dupree, left guard Matt Feiler, right tackle Zach Banner, nose tackle Tyson Alualu, wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster, running back James Conner, slot corner Mike Hilton and versatile defensive back Cam Sutton. Tackle Alejandro Villaneuva almost certainly won’t be re-signed.

To get under the cap — no matter what the final figure is for 2021 — the Steelers might need to release several high-salaried veterans. Possibilities include cornerback Joe Haden, inside linebacker Vince Williams, tight end Eric Ebron, cornerback Steve Nelson and center Maurkice Pouncey. The Steelers also want to extend outside linebacker T.J. Watt’s contract, which could result in more cap casualties.

“I don’t know what to expect,” defensive captain Cameron Heyward said. “We are in uncharted territory, to say the least, and changes have to be made. That’s part of the game. We all have to deal with this.”

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