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Ben Roethlisberger: Record-Breaking Super Bowl Wins Better Than Huge Contract
June 17, 2018
Although quarterbacks around the league are getting big contracts, Pittsburgh Steelers veteran Ben Roethlisberger apparently isn't concerned about getting a new deal.
"I have two years on my contract. I'm not going to be one to sit here and worry about my contract," the quarterback said Sunday, per Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. "That's not my job. My job is to play football. I'll let my representation, the Steelers worry about all that stuff. To me, it's all about going out and playing now.
Roethlisberger has a $23.2 million cap hit for 2018, which ranks ninth in the NFL among quarterbacks, per Spotrac.
"I care about record-breaking Super Bowl wins and things like that—that's more important to me," he added.
After the Steelers went 13-3 last season with one of the most talented rosters in the league, the squad remains a top contender to win a Super Bowl in 2018. According to OddsShark, the team has 10-1 odds to win it all, trailing only the New England Patriots and Philadelphia Eagles.
Roethlisberger has been a Pro Bowler in each of the last four years, but he noted other players' needs above his own in regard to money.
"I think there are a lot more, maybe a lot more important people who need to get their deals done now," he said. "For me to do it two years out, if it doesn't make sense for the team, I'm not going to sit here and worry about it."
Perhaps the most notable contract situation is with running back Le'Veon Bell, who is expected to hold out deep into training camp as he did last year. He was placed under the franchise tag but hopes to sign a long-term deal.
Meanwhile, Roethlisberger might not even need another contract as a 36-year-old who has threatened retirement in the past. The Steelers drafted Mason Rudolph in the third round this offseason, and he could serve as a potential replacement under center down the line.