There is such little drama when it comes to established franchise quarterbacks and new contracts. You'd hope there might be a small sliver of dissension or reluctance on either side, but there rarely ever is. That's why Ben Roethlisberger's contract negotiations with the Pittsburgh Steelers are essentially a non-issue. It's going to get done and Big Ben is going to be back in Pittsburgh. It's that simple.
Even Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert had nothing but positive things to say when it came to his two-time winning Super Bowl QB.
"I really think Ben is going to be a better quarterback down the road than he is at this point," Colbert said. "Ben is a franchise quarterback that's getting better with age."
It's true that as Pittsburgh's offense has become more pass-oriented, Roethlisberger's numbers have gone up. Even with the 32-year-old's physical style of play and scattered injury history, there is no chance he'll be playing anywhere else but Pittsburgh.
"The Steelers signing Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract is such a foregone conclusion that their general manager essentially gave away the negotiations before they began," Kevin Gorman of the Tribune-Review wrote.
"...Instead of signing Roethlisberger after back-to-back 8-8 seasons, the Steelers lost all leverage by waiting until after he set career highs in passing yards, completions and completion percentage."
4,952 passing yards on a 67.1 completion percentage with 32 touchdowns and only nine interceptions will not come cheaply for the Steelers. Roethlisberger is probably looking at the $100 million dollar deals less accomplished QBs such as Andy Dalton, Jay Cutler and Colin Kaepernick got and hoping for a somewhat similar level of compensation.
"Colbert's effusive praise of Roethlisberger is a strong indication the Steelers do not plan to lowball their three-time Pro Bowl quarterback," ESPN's Scott Brown wrote. "It also makes it likely that Roethlisberger and the Steelers agree to a new deal sooner rather than later. Getting the contract done has been a fait accompli for some time, which should allow Colbert and the Steelers to tend to more pressing needs. Colbert said at this time last year the Steelers wanted to surround Roethlisberger with as much talent as possible to maximize his remaining seasons. The Steelers have done that with their recent drafts. Now it is time to re-build a defense that needs pass rushers and defensive backs....Fortunately for the Steelers, they can focus on that priority without protracted contract negotiations with their franchise quarterback looming over them."
Brown is right to note Pittsburgh's desire to improve the roster this offseason. Rumors are that the Steelers want to go hard and heavy with pass-rushers in the upcoming NFL draft. With the Roethlisberger situation handled, the team will be able to devote their full focus to the draft and free agency.
No drama, no problem.
