Steelers sign QB Ben Roethlisberger to new contract for 2021 season

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to a contract Thursday that includes a pay cut for the two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback and provides some much-needed salary cap relief for the organization.

The contract is for one year and $14 million, according to national reports, and is $5 million less than Roethlisberger was scheduled to make in the final year of his previous contract.

The Steelers also structured the deal, per the NFL Network, in a way that Roethlisberger will earn the veteran minimum $1.075 million in salary. The remaining $12.925 million will be payable in a signing bonus that includes four voidable years, which reduces his cap hit for 2021. The Steelers can take a one-time dead cap hit of about $10 million in 2022.

Factoring in the pay reduction and the voidable years, the Steelers will gain about $15 million in salary cap relief for the upcoming season. The Steelers entered the week an estimated $7 million over a projected $185 million salary cap.

Roethlisberger’s restructured contract, which was announced two days after his 39^th birthday, will give the Steelers a chance to sign some of their 19 unrestricted free agents and perhaps fill at least one gap along the offensive line in free agency.

“It is my greatest honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and give my all for this organization,” Roethlisberger said in a statement released by the team. “I am grateful to be at this stage of my career and more than happy to adjust my contract in a way that best helps the team to address other players who are so vital to our success. I love this game and love to compete, and I believe in this team and my ability to deliver when called upon. It all starts with great preparation and I am ready to go.”

Before the restructuring, Roethlisberger was scheduled to earn $4 million in base salary with a $15 million roster bonus due on March 19. It also included $22.25 million in dead money for a $41.25 million salary cap hit that team president Art Rooney II said was untenable. Roethlisberger’s cap hit is now an estimated $26.25 million.

Although including voidable years in Roethlisberger’s contract was a way to lessen his cap hit in 2021, it was a tactic the Steelers historically avoided in previous player negotiations. Rooney II, however, said in January that the Steelers would need to get creative in order for them to get compliant with the salary cap in the wake of stadium revenues being slashed by the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think it’s fair to say that we may have to look at doing some things different just based on the size of the challenge we have going into this year,” Rooney II said. “So, I’m not going to say that this is just going to be business as usual under these circumstances. It’s going to be a very unusual year, a very difficult year from a cap standpoint, and so we’ll really have to look at if there are adjustments that we need to make to how we structure contracts.”

The agreement cements Roethlisberger returning for an 18^th NFL season. In 2020, Roethlisberger rebounded from right elbow surgery to pass for 3,808 yards and 33 touchdowns against 10 interceptions.

“We know that Ben can still play at a high level and do special things for this team,” general manager Kevin Colbert said in a statement. “Our goal remains the same — to put together a roster that will compete for another championship. We are happy that Ben will be one of our leaders to help us accomplish that goal.”

Rooney and Colbert said, if the money could be worked out, the Steelers were prepared to move forward with Roethlisberger as their quarterback even though he struggled down the stretch. The Steelers lost five of their final six games, including their playoff opener, following an 11-0 start.

Roethlisberger had six interceptions in his final six starts, and he was intercepted four times in the Steelers’ 48-37 loss to Cleveland in the wild-card round.

Mason Rudolph will enter the final season of his contract as Roethlisberger’s backup. The Steelers also signed former first-round draft pick Dwayne Haskins to a futures contract after the 2020 season concluded.