Pittsburgh Steelers sign Ben Roethlisberger to 2-year extension

The Pittsburgh Steelers secured their quarterback for the next three years. Ben Roethlisberger signed a two-year extension prior to the 2019 NFL Draft.

It’s always something special when a player starts and finishes his career in a city. Ben Roethlisberger is a future Hall of Famer, one of the best of his generation and despite constant disapproval, he’s still ready to play football. The Steelers have known this and they made sure to secure him for the end of his career.

Coming off a career high in passing yards, Big Ben has secured his future with this team. Pittsburgh gave themselves a deadline of Wednesday before the draft and only needed until that morning to get the deal done. Now, they can focus on the draft and utilizing their 10 picks.

The new deal is worth $60 million over two years with $37 million guaranteed and $30 million in injury guarantees. With $12 million left in his final year of his current contract, Roethlisberger is set to make $80 million over the next three years.

This is the perfect situation for Pittsburgh and Big Ben. The quarterback gets one last major payday and the Steelers get to keep a Hall of Fame passer for the next three years. With Josh Dobbs and Mason Rudolph still developing, having Roethlisberger around for the next few seasons allows them to learn from a respected veteran.

Although not everyone is a fan of the move, it makes sense for both sides. This deal keeps the Steelers a top contender for the time being. Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell leaving left plenty of doubt with this team, but having their leader on the field means their confidence will remain high.

Pittsburgh has been this motivated in years. The players have a chip on their shoulder, plenty of guys are looking to prove themselves and their starting quarterback is out to prove he’s everything he’s shown over the last 15 years.