Tim Benz: Ben Roethlisberger's new contract may not be the big picture fix some are anticipating

Let’s get the working of mechanics ironed out as we talk about Ben Roethlisberger’s new Pittsburgh Steelers contract. Then we’ll get to what all of this means.

Because the words we use — and how we chose them — to describe Big Ben’s big decision are important to properly frame what’s going to happen next in free agency for the team.

Most of the major NFL salary cap study outlets and NFL insiders are in agreement on the reconfigured money and language in Roethlisberger’s contract.

This means Ben Roethlisberger's new 2021 salary cap number is $25.91M ($1.075M base salary, $2.585M new signing bonus proration, $12.5M 2019 contract signing bonus proration & $9.75M 2020 restructure signing bonus proration). Steelers pick up $15.34M of 2021 cap room. https://t.co/Dtgfd1QxQo

— Joel Corry (@corryjoel) March 4, 2021

Ben Roethlisberger’s extension:

2021 Cash: $14M
2021 Cap: $25.9M
2022-25 Void Years allowing the signing bonus cap to prorate

Unless he’s extended before the 2022 league year, PIT will take on a $10.36M dead cap hit in 2022 once this contract voids. https://t.co/iIGrbYfsr8

— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 4, 2021

Ben takes a $5M pay cut, while the Steelers make a rare contract structure exception in adding voidable years to spread out the cap dollars.

— Spotrac (@spotrac) March 4, 2021

Roethlisberger would’ve made $19 million in real money this season prior to Thursday’s news. Now he’ll cash out at $14 million.

When people say he’s taking a $5 million pay cut and is helping the team from a cash standpoint and an allocation standpoint by tacking on four voidable years to the deal, that’s all true.

Roethlisberger is doing a good thing here.

But before we give Big Ben a humanitarian award, let’s understand that by forfeiting $5 million in cash, he’s also protecting $14 million. Because if he didn’t agree to shave his salary to a certain degree, the Steelers would’ve been forced to cut him entirely.

The quarterback is essentially eating $5 million so he can still earn $14 million. Plus, it buys a heaping dose of goodwill in Pittsburgh. Not a bad price for someone who has already made $253 million in career earnings.

Furthermore, this isn’t exactly unprecedented stuff. Back in 2015, Peyton Manning did the same thing — with very similar dollar amounts — in Denver. Also, throwing voidable years onto the deal isn’t much of a risk for a guy who isn’t likely to play anywhere else besides Pittsburgh, or beyond this contract.

But that’s just a small cash exchange between a multi-billion dollar franchise and its quarter-billion dollar employee.

The real number that matters is the $15 million in cap space for this year that has been freed up.

For this year.

No one seems to want to talk about the $10.3 million that’ll still count against the books next year if Roethlisberger should retire before 2022. It’s not an overwhelming amount. But it’ll be there.

At least now, the Steelers are no longer in “cap hell.” In fact, using OverTheCap.com’s estimated $180 million league-wide ceiling, they are $3 million clear of the threshold at this point.

With future restructures of other veterans, the Steelers won’t have to purge as many people off their roster as appeared to be the case a few weeks ago.

But some of the dialogue yesterday started to wander into hyperbole. Suddenly, there seems to be this vibe around town that general manager Kevin Colbert can start spending like a drunken sailor because Roethlisberger’s deal is complete.

If you go on Twitter now, Steeler Nation seems to be of the opinion that:

• The franchise can now keep JuJu Smith-Schuster and/or Bud Dupree.

• They’ll re-sign either or both Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva along the offensive line.

• They’ll retain free agents Cameron Sutton, Mike Hilton and Tyson Alualu on defense.

• They won’t have to cut Joe Haden, Steven Nelson or Vince Williams.

• They’ll even be able to add beyond all that by picking up a center in free agency to replace the retired Maurkice Pouncey.

That’s simply not the case. At least not until they get significant room from a lot more restructures. And, even then, that’s still optimistic, unless recent cap projections are remarkably low.

Remember, Roethlisberger’s cap number is still $25.9 million. His dead money charge had he been cut would have been $22 million. Essentially, the Steelers are saying Roethlisberger is worth $4 million more in cap space dollars to have on the roster, as opposed to the pinch they’d feel by his absence.

That’s not much. And putting it that way, I agree. I think. Although Roethlisberger’s last six weeks of 2020 give me pause.

Especially since this was a pretty clear opportunity for the Steelers to hold on to at least one more player if Roethlisberger was cut and start a much-needed rebuilding process, while also getting a look to see if Mason Rudolph is worth keeping in the last year of his contract, too.

Part of the narrative in recent weeks was that Colbert would be able to put a better product around Roethlisberger if he took a pay cut. I’m sorry, but I don’t see how these mass additions are going to happen. I just see this as a way to avoid multiple subtractions.

I still argue that the best-case scenario is to keep last year’s team together as much as possible. That’s it. And based on how this club limped to the finish line in 2020, how good of a scenario is that really going to be?

Those wanting Roethlisberger to have a victory lap of a season have gotten their wish. Those hoping for significant Steelers change have not. And those thinking Roethlisberger’s restructured contract will lead to drastic improvements are kidding themselves.

But I guess that $5 million Roethlisberger left on the table bought something else from the fanbase besides goodwill.

A healthy dose of blind faith.