Tuesday, January 08, 2008
By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
Andy Starnes / Post-Gazette
Ben Roethlisberger listens in as referees confer before awarding the steelers a 4th quarter Saturday against the Jaguars.
The Steelers face a busy offseason on their labor front, starting with the biggest of them all, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
Roethlisberger has two years left on his contract, precisely the time when the Steelers extended their two previous starting quarterbacks, Tommy Maddox and Kordell Stewart.
The quarterback and his agent, Ryan Tollner, had hoped to negotiate an extension a year ago, but were told at the time the Steelers wanted to wait until 2008.
Talks are not likely to start immediately, but the sides likely will at least schedule some times for them to begin. Roethlisberger is due a roster bonus of $2.95 million early in March. That number could be wrapped into a signing bonus and spread out for salary cap purposes if a contract is signed before then. If not, it will count as hard numbers against their 2008 salary cap, although that is not seen as an impediment to a long-term extension.
"We'll see, we'll wait until they feel right," Tollner said yesterday of the timetable for negotiations. "I'm optimistic. Ben wants to be in Pittsburgh long term."
There's little doubt that will happen. While the Steelers declined to comment, they've usually kept their man when it comes to quarterback. The one quarterback they did not keep was Neil O'Donnell, and his departure after the 1995 season may have shown them why it's important to negotiate a contract extension for their quarterback when two years remain.
O'Donnell became a restricted free agent early in the new system, in 1993. He signed a contract with Tampa Bay and the Steelers reluctantly matched it and kept him. However, they did not extend the deal and he became an unrestricted free agent after the 1995 season and their Super Bowl loss to Dallas. They still planned to keep him, but the New York Jets showered him with so much money that they decided to let him go. It left the Steelers with Mike Tomczak as a temporary starting quarterback in 1996.
Roethlisberger finds himself in a great position. He had his best season statistically -- breaking Terry Bradshaw's touchdown record along the way -- and made his first Pro Bowl. He showed that his poor 2006 was atypical and perhaps a by-product of his many physical problems.
While signing their quarterback to an extension will be their top priority, the Steelers have other players who will become unrestricted free agents when the new NFL calendar begins in March. They are guard Alan Faneca, linebacker Clark Haggans, tackle Max Starks, defensive end Travis Kirschke and fullback Dan Kreider. Restricted free agents include tackle Trai Essex, guard Chris Kemoeatu, receiver Nate Washington and long-snapper Greg Warren.
They also must decide which players who have one year left on their contracts they want to try to extend. Among those are tackle Marvel Smith, linebacker James Farrior, receiver Cedrick Wilson, quarterback Charlie Batch, cornerback Bryant McFadden and tight end Jerame Tuman.
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NOTES -- Among the usual large group of players scheduled to have surgeries are wide receiver Hines Ward (knee) and guard Kendall Simmons (hands). ... Roethlisberger tied a team playoff record with his three interceptions, the second time he has done that in the postseason. His three touchdowns are tied for second in club playoff history and also the second time he has thrown for three. His 337 yards are third-most in team playoff history. His 29 completions were third-most in a Steelers playoff game. ... Ward broke out of a tie with John Stallworth and now owns the club postseason record with 67 receptions after catching 10 passes Saturday, one short of a record he and Franco Harris share for a single game. Ward's 135 yards receiving rank third for a game. ... Heath Miller's eight receptions Saturday were the most by a Steelers tight end in a postseason game.
Ed Bouchette can be reached at ebouchette@post-gazette.com.
First published on January 8, 2008 at 12:00 am
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