Big Ben back for 2021!
“It is my greatest honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and give my all for this organization. I am grateful to be at this stage of my career and more than happy to adjust my contract in a way that best helps the team to address other players who are so vital to our success. I love this game and love to compete, and I believe in this team and my ability to deliver when called upon. It all starts with great preparation and I am ready to go.” — Ben.
From Teresa Varley, Steelers.com:
The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract for 2021, it was announced Thursday.
“We are excited we were able to come to an agreement with Ben Roethlisberger on a new contract for him to return to the Steelers in 2021,” said General Manager and Vice President Kevin Colbert. “We know that Ben can still play at a high level and do special things for this team. Our goal remains the same – to put together a roster that will compete for another championship. We are happy that Ben will be one of our leaders to help us accomplish that goal.”
Roethlisberger, who has played in a Steelers record 233 games and started a record 231, came back strong in 2020 after missing the majority of the 2019 season with an elbow injury.
You can read more here.
Wishing a Happy Birthday
Okay, here he comes….” — Kota, reminding Remy and Sieben exactly how the birthday surprise will go down.
The art…
“I found my 8 year old daughter’s home school work on the table today – she had to pick three idols to draw and write about what makes them ‘great’. We live in the UK where the NFL is not a major sport, so I’m not sure the teachers will know, and she didn’t quite nail the spelling of Ben’s name – however I thought he might like to know that in the mind of an 8-year old girl in London UK ; he is held in similar high regard to Greta Thunberg and JK Rowling…
Regards,
Gavin Marshall (work by Elle Jay Marshall, 8)”
More from Mr. Rooney II
PROGRESS ON BRINGING BEN BACK FOR 2021:
On Feb. 24, Mr. Rooney issued a statement about a meeting he had with Ben Roethlisberger that day during which the player and the team made a commitment to getting something done contractually to allow him to come back for the 2021 season.
“We have been in communication with Ben throughout the offseason, and we have been clear that we would like him back but we needed to do something with the contract,” said Rooney. “We’re getting to that point now where the time is right. We have a better idea of where the salary cap is going to be, which is an important component of the decision. It just felt like it was time to sit down with Ben and have a good discussion, make sure the lines of communication are open. We had a good, productive discussion, and I assured him we would like to have him back, and he assured me that he wants to come back and play. And so we both left it that we know we have to try to get something worked out on the contract.”
The first day of the new league year for NFL teams is Wednesday, March 17, which is the opening of free agency and also when all teams must be compliant with the 2021 salary cap. That makes March 17 the deadline for the Steelers and Roethlisberger to get something worked out.
“Hopefully we’ll work something out before that,” said Rooney, “but certainly if you want to say there’s a hard deadline, March 17 would be it.”
Rooney also explained that the decision and the work to be done on Roethlisberger has been about his contract and its impact on the team’s salary cap all along. It was not about performance.
“We think Ben played at a high level last year,” said Rooney. “We won our division and set a franchise record for most consecutive wins to open a season, so there was a lot of good stuff. Ben was as disappointed as anybody the way it ended. That last game is just hard to swallow, and I think in part Ben wants to come back and leave on a high note. We’re still confident he has the ability to do that. His arm, I […]
Another ‘Sharpe’ Image!
This piece was originally intended as a retirement tribute.
And frankly? I’m glad it’s not.
Hearing that the fire still burns in 7️⃣ – and that ownership is planning for his return – means a chance for Ben to add another chapter to a storied career. #HereWeGo — Matt Sharpe.
