‘Very, very strong feeling’ in Pittsburgh that it’s time to move forward without Big Ben
Ben Roethlisberger has said everything he needs to say — that he wants to return to the Steelers and that he’s willing to do it for less money.
Roethlisberger and the Steelers were expected to meet during the second week in February for contract negotiations. Two weeks have come and gone, and according to NFL Network’s Aditi Kinkhabwala, the two sides have yet to meet.
“Nothing has changed since Kevin Colbert was so lukewarm a week ago,” said Kinkhabwala on NFL Network Monday. “This is essentially turning into a really big game of chicken in Pittsburgh where the Steelers are almost daring Ben Roethlisberger to say something back.”
“The Steelers are not in consensus on what to do; from what I’ve been told, there’s a very, very strong feeling in that building that it is time to move forward.”
Steelers president Art Rooney has made it clear that the club simply cannot bring him back at the league-high cap hit of $41 million.
Roethlisberger’s release carries a dead money hit of $22.25 million — $3.25 million more than what remains on his contract before negotiations.
Last week, GM Kevin Colbert told us Ben Roethlisberger is the #Steelers QB "as we sit here today."
Well, as we sit here today, the Steelers have still not scheduled a call w/ Ben to do the "work" of figuring out their future together, I'm told by someone apprised of such calls.— Aditi Kinkhabwala (@AKinkhabwala) February 22, 2021
