Ben Roethlisberger’s extension may have been a bad deal for Steelers

Ben Roethlisberger became one of the highest-paid quarterbacks in the league with his extension last year. Here’s why the Steelers may have made a bad deal.

The Steelers had a plan in mind for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger last offseason. They wanted the 16-year veteran to play out his career in Pittsburgh and hang up his cleats as the best quarterback to play in the Steel City.

While they were able to reach an agreement on a two-year, $68 million extension, so far, it’s shaping up to be a bad deal for the Steelers.

Roethlisberger played just one and a half games in 2019 before landing on injured reserve with a right elbow that required surgery. Though injuries like this are impossible to predict, Pittsburgh lost out on over $26 million last season and are yet to reap the benefits of Ben’s new deal.

With his extension, Roethlisberger is averaging a massive haul of $34 million per season through 2021 – the second-highest-paid player in the NFL over that span next to Russell Wilson. However, something tells me that at age 38 and beyond, Big Ben isn’t going to be the second-best player in the NFL.

Pittsburgh got themselves in trouble by paying for past production when it came to Ben’s new extension. Roethlisberger threw for 5,129 yards in 2018, but it’s important to note that his 675 passes outpaced Patrick Mahomes by 95 attempts (though they resulted in just 32 more passing yards than Mahomes).

Ben’s numbers were really inflated in 2018 based on volume. In terms of completion percentage, yards per attempt, and passer rating, Roethlisber’s numbers were very average. Ben also has thrown more interceptions over his last four full seasons than anyone besides Jameis Winston.

While Roethlisberger certainly gives the Steelers the best chance to win in the next few seasons, it’s highly unlikely he will perform up to his cap numbers in his old age. Ben’s contract puts Pittsburgh in a financial bind for the next few seasons – making it hard for them to be active in free agency or even retain some of their own players this offseason.

It’s also very unclear how Roethlisberger’s rehab on his elbow has been going, and there is always a chance he could decide to can it quits before his contract expires.

I certainly don’t blame the Steelers for doing what they did, and the ultimate goal is winning Super Bowls. Ben Roethlisberger gives them the best chance to do that. However, so far, Ben’s deal is shaping up to be a bad one for Pittsburgh, and it is one that could put them in financial jeopardy over the next few seasons.