Ben Roethlisberger may yet have some gas left in the tank, but here are four questions he has to face if he wants to return to the Steelers.
As of this writing, it certainly seems like Ben Roethlisberger will be suiting up for another season with the Steelers. Retirement talks quickly died down and it seems as if the aging quarterback wants to have another go at playing in 2021.
While the opinions on his return seem split, there are quite a few questions, to say the least, that need to be asked about his pending return. Here are the four most important questions Roethlisberger has to answer if he wants to come back and play for the Steelers in 2021.
What will his cap hit be?
This is the headline that is already being discussed, as Roethlisberger is set to have a monstrous cap hit of over $41 million dollars, and the team could save $19 million of that by moving on. In a year that will be financially tight for the Steelers, shedding this much money could be the difference in retaining a top free agent or avoiding cutting a valuable player. The team doesn’t have a lot of choice in the matter with what they do either, as they can’t restructure his deal like they normally do because he is entering the final year of the contract.
While Roethlisberger has come out and said he would be willing to work on his current deal, that doesn’t mean he will just take a pay cut (that rarely happens in the NFL and for good reason). More than likely, the Steelers will extend him at a reasonable rate, have the years be voidable or easily cuttable, and take as much of his base salary from this year and turn it into a signing bonus. That could save the team around $15 million, but it does push that cap hit forward. No matter what, the Steelers can’t afford to pay him what he is set to earn in 2021.
Does he fit the new offense?
The Steelers made the smart decision to move on from offensive coordinator Randy Fitchner in favor of Matt Canada. Canada uses a lot of motion and plays under center to establish successful offenses. He is young and bright, so the team would be wise to allow him to construct the offensive scheme as he deems fit. He has a great opportunity to turn a lackluster offense into a good unit given the talent there.
The issue is Roethlisberger, as he has had a firm grip over the offense for the past few years. Half the reason Fitchner was brought in was to appease Big Ben. Fichtner had been the quarterback’s coach for quite a few years, and he gave Roethlisberger a lot of freedom in how the offense ran. This meant very little play-action and snaps under center. It worked fine enough, but by halfway through this year, it was apparent what the issues were with Roethlisberger and Fitchner controlling the offense.
With Canada now in charge and Roethlisberger’s career almost over, it would make sense for Canada to call the offense and for Roethlisberger to learn it. While there will be natural influence from the veteran quarterback, he can’t have the control that he had in previous seasons. This needs to be Canada’s offense with Roethlisberger leading it. If not, it could derail Canada’s chances of succeeding and set the Steelers behind after Roethlisberger retires.
Is he willing to lose?
This may sound like a harsh reality, but the Steelers will more than likely not be competing for a Super Bowl next year. Could they make the playoffs or even win the division? Sure, but the team is set to lose a lot of talent this offseason, and it will be nearly impossible to field a better roster than what was seen this year. The team can be successful, yes, but they won’t be as dominant as they were this season.
This was one of the appeals of having Mason Rudolph or even a Dwayne Haskins starting next season. Either would get another chance to prove their starting ability and if both failed, then the team would secure a better draft spot to get their next quarterback. Out of all the options, Roethlisberger gives the Steelers the best chance to win, but they are still facing quite the climb to be considered Super Bowl options.
That means that if Roethlisberger wants to return in 2021, he needs to acknowledge that he likely won’t go out as a Super Bowl champion, and there is a real chance the team doesn’t even make the playoffs. The Steelers will only be able to do so much this offseason given the departing talent, and the returning roster has to expect regression. If Roethlisberger returns, he would have to acknowledge this as well.
What are the long-term ramifications?
Given what he has done for the Steelers, Roethlisberger deserves to retire when he chooses to. That said, from an objective perspective, keeping him around for one more year is simply delaying the inevitable. When he retires, the team will be in for a few lean years as they try and get their next franchise quarterback. In addition, this defense is supremely talented, and Pittsburgh’s current offense has quite a few weapons. The team could have a quick turnaround potentially but keeping Roethlisberger for another season makes that less likely.
While keeping Roethlisberger around in 2021 makes the odds of finishing above .500 better, it also wastes another year of this talented defense. More players will leave, while everyone else gets older. The team likely won’t be in a position to draft a quarterback next year as well, meaning another year of mediocrity would have to happen before a high enough draft pick was obtained.
Again, Roethlisberger is clearly the best quarterback on the roster going into next year. That said, the team could benefit more in the long term from moving on from him. The Steelers could use the cap savings toward bringing back some of their free agents, and while the 2021 season would likely be a wash, Pittsburgh could prep for a rebound in 2022. Roethlisberger deserves to retire when he wants to, but long term, keeping him around for another season may not be the right move.
While it isn’t set in stone yet, the Steelers seem to be set on bringing Roethlisberger back for another season. Though he has brought a lot of success to the team, he does have a few questions that he must answer before the team can bring him back. This won’t be the same Steelers team next year. He and the team have to realize that as they figure out what to do next.