No matter what he says after the upset loss to the Jaguars or later this week during his weekly spot on 93.7 The Fan in Pittsburgh, Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger already has made it clear that he’s now taking his career one year at a time. So with one year over, he can now consider what he’ll do next year.
Last year, he apparently didn’t come close to calling it quits. As one league source told PFT during the regular season, Roethsliberger’s contemplations didn’t get to the point that he even inquired as to what he would have owed the team if he’d retired prematurely.
It would have been $18.6 million last year, it will be $12.4 million this year, assuming the Steelers would insist on recovering the money he already has been paid for future performance. (There’s no reason to think they wouldn’t.)
If/when (when, most likely) he returns, Roethlisberger may have a new offensive coordinator. Todd Haley’s contract is expiring; the last time that happened with a Pittsburgh offensive coordinator, the team “retired” Bruce Arians.
Now that Bruce Arians is “retired” again, maybe Ben tries to make a power play to get his close friend to come back. The chances of that happening, hover, are slimmer than the chances of Roethlisberger retiring.