If Ben Roethlisberger retires, the Pittsburgh Steelers could be on the hunt for a veteran quarterback.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Steelers wouldn’t go the rebuilding route if Roethlisberger retires. In the scenario where both sides move on from on another, Fowler predicts the Steelers will sign another veteran QB — the Atlanta Falcons‘ Matt Ryan.
Ryan, who will be 37 years old next year, is still technically under contract with the Falcons through the 2023 season. However, Fowler is predicting Ryan gets released and signs a two-year, $36 million deal with the Steelers.
“Pittsburgh is part of the projection because, assuming Roethlisberger retires, the Steelers could look the veteran route,” says Fowler. “The Steelers aren’t big on rebuilds, and it’s hard to envision them giving up several first-round picks for a quarterback. They draft well. Ryan getting released would cost them nothing more than a new contract.”
“Ryan is due $16.25 million in salary and $7.5 million in a roster bonus that guarantees on the third day of the league year,” Fowler continues. “Given where the Falcons are — a 5-7 record is probably an overachievement — no path would shock, from drafting a replacement to riding with Ryan for one more year. Perhaps he would rework his deal one more time to lessen the cap hit and clear some money off the books. The feeling is Ryan likes Atlanta a great deal and appreciates working with coach Arthur Smith. Maybe that leads to flexibility with his deal.”
How Ryan Helps Steelers as Bridge QB
An NFC executive even goes so far as to say that Ryan would be a “slight upgrade” over Roethlisberger.
“That would be good for them,” an NFC exec said. “I would consider [Ryan] a slight upgrade for them, at this stage.”
While Ryan isn’t exactly much of an upgrade over Roethlisberger when it comes to mobility — or even in age — it would keep the Steelers competitive.
The 14-year veteran isn’t lighting up defenses like he did when he won MVP back in 2016, but he’s still a competent quarterback who has a rebuilding Falcons squad at a respectable record of 5-7.
According to Pro Football Focus, Ryan actually ranks 13th in passing grade and eighth in completion percentage among starting quarterbacks. Those numbers are above Roethlisberger, who ranks 33rd in the league in passing grade among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts. Furthermore, his 64.8 completion percentage ranks 25th among quarterbacks with at least 100 pass attempts.
The signing of Ryan would enable the Steelers to still contend in the playoffs while also giving them the ability to draft a quarterback — University of Pittsburgh’s Kenny Pickett is a popular name floating around — that they can develop and nurture for one-to-two years.
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Roethlisberger’s Future After 2021
As far as how Roethlisberger’s future pans out, there have been reports that this is the 39-year-old quarterback’s last season in Pittsburgh.
Fowler notes that if that’s the case, it’s hard to imagine Roethlisberger actually entering the free agent market — he wants to end his career in Pittsburgh.
“The 39-year-old quarterback hitting the open market and negotiating with prospective teams is too hard to imagine,” says Fowler. “He has made it clear that he wants to retire a Steeler. And that’s largely the expectation from people around the league: The Steelers will go younger at the position, depending how the season ends.
I’m still not taking a re-signing completely off the table, as the Mike Tomlin-Roethlisberger pair is too familiar, too successful to write off just yet. And just when fans start to fade on Big Ben, he answers with a signature win over the Ravens — a clean performance with 236 yards and two touchdowns. But the signs point to a change for both parties.”
Barring an unexpected deep postseason run, the Steelers will likely start anew at quarterback in 2022. The question becomes, who will line up under center for Pittsburgh in the post-Roethlisberger era?
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