Pittsburgh Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger Agree to 5-Year Contract Extension
The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have agreed to a five-year deal on Friday.
Prior to the new deal, Roethlisberger was heading into the last year of his eight-year contract worth $102 million. He was due a base salary of $11.6 million in 2015 and had a salary-cap of $18.395 million. Team president Art Rooney II did not disclose the details surrounding Roethlisberger's new contract. His new contract will most likely have a lower salary-cap.
"For us, this was the most important," Rooney said in regards to signing Roethlisberger to an extension. "Ben has a number of great years ahead of him."
"This is where I want to be," Roethlisberger said Friday afternoon with chairman Dan Rooney, Rooney, coach Mike Tomlin and general manager Kevin Colbert at the news conference. "It's an incredibly fair deal for both sides, and we're just excited to move forward and get some more Lombardi trophies in that room next year."
He added, "I love this place, I love raising my family here. It's a great environment, a great city.''
Big Ben, who will turn 33 in March, had a great 2014 season. He recorded 4,952 passing yards, 408 completions and 32 touchdowns. His completion percentage was at 67.1.
He also made history when he threw six touchdowns each in consecutive games against the Indianapolis Colts and the Baltimore Ravens midseason. Roethlisberger also became the fourth quarterback in history to get to 100 wins within his first 150 starts. The other three quarterbacks include Terry Bradshaw, Joe Montana and Tom Brady.
Roethlisberger, who was picked in the first round of the 2004 draft, will most likely finish out his career in Pittsburgh. In his 11-year long career, he has thrown 39,057 yards, 251 touchdowns and 131 interceptions. He has played in three Super Bowl Championships and won two (Super Bowl XL and Super Bowl XLIII)
In free agency, the Steelers have signed DeAngelo Williams from the Carolina Panthers to a two-year deal.
