What widely was expected to happen over this offseason reportedly is going to get done before March 13, according to ESPN.

The Pittsburgh Steelers are “expected to restructure and extend” the contract of 36-year-old Ben Roethlisberger before the 2019 league year begins, Adam Schefter wrote Saturday afternoon.

This season’s NFL passing leader, Roethlisberger is entering the final year of his contract and certainly would have been given a multiyear extension by the team this year, assuming Roethlisberger didn’t want to retire.

The most recent contract Roethlisberger signed was a four-year, $87 million extension signed in March 2015. As it stands, Roethlisberger is set to earn $17 million in salary and roster bonus in 2019 with a salary-cap charge of $23.2 million.

Three of Roethlisberger’s previous four contract extensions were signed in March.

Schefter is framing the extension as a method for the Steelers to free up 2019 cap space if and when they chose to trade disgruntled star receiver Antonio Brown, who would leave them with $21 million in “dead money” this season if he were dealt.

Five starting quarterbacks agreed to deals in 2018: Matt Ryan (five years, $150 million), Jimmy Garoppolo (five years, $137.5 million), Aaron Rodgers (four years, $134 million), Alex Smith (four years, $94 million) and Kirk Cousins (three years, $84 million).

Roethlisberger turns 37 in March and is entering his 16th season.

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Chris Adamski is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Chris at cadamski@tribweb.com or via Twitter @C_AdamskiTrib.

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