Will Steelers Ben Roethlisberger Retire in 2019?

The Pittsburgh Steelers finally made the deal Steeler Nation has been waiting on since the 2014 offseason.

Franchise quarterback Ben Roethlisberger signed a five year $99 million deal on Friday.

It’s the deal that will allow him to ‘retire a Steeler.’

The contract removes the 2015 portion of his old deal and starts the clock over. That means Roethlisberger will be on contract through the 2019 season.

Does this mean we can bank on Big Ben no longer taking the field and leading this offense when 2020 rolls around?

2019 is oh so far away, and a lot can happen between now and then. Injuries, salary cap space, performance – they all play vital parts in a player’s future with a team.

But, this is the deal that is ‘family friendly’ and keeps Ben in the ‘Burgh for good. It’s been reported (barring the actual details of the contract) that the cash flow is great for Ben and the guarantees are just right for the Steelers.

There’s nothing telling us aside from a career ending injury that Roethlisberger that the end result will be anything different. There’s a no-trade clause in that newly minted thing, right?

By 2019, Roethlisberger will more than likely have a few more divisional titles under his belt. The way this offense is loaded, he should even by playing for a few AFC Championships and maybe even a Super Bowl or two.

By 2019, Ben will be 37 in the final year of that contract. By that season’s end, he’ll be pushing 38. We’ve seen plenty of quarterbacks throughout the history play beyond this age and well into their 40’s.

I’m not talking about some two-bit backup who’s ‘fresh’ because they viewed the game from the sideline most of their careers. I’m talking about Super Bowl winning QB’s like Brett Favre and Johnny Unitas. Guys who still had the effort and the drive left in the tank. Guys who somehow still had things to prove.

Does anyone think that Ben will walk away from the game at 38? He’s such a competitor. He’s dedicated and gives every second his best effort. He’s a champion. I find it difficult to imagine him hanging up the cleats for a team and a city that he loves at that age. That team and this city are as much his family as wife Ashely and his two beautiful children are.

It’s all he could talk about on Friday at the press conference.

The day will come when this franchise will be without Big Ben for good. My hope is that if he’s still the best thing going for the Steelers come 2019 and is willing to continue after – they damn well better sign him again for another year or two.

For now, I’ll just enjoy this moment and the next five years.

Next: DeAngelo Williams Signing A Solid Move

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