Ben Roethlisberger won't be leaving Pittsburgh any time soon. In fact, he'll likely finish his career with the Steelers.
The team gave its franchise quarterback a five-year, $99 million contract less than a month after general manager Kevin Colbert confirmed that both sides began talks of an extension. The Steelers officially announced the new deal at a Friday evening news conference.
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I've always said this is where I want to be. - Ben Roethlisberger. pic.twitter.com/HPTU5VCEhL
— Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers) March 13, 2015"I've always said this is where I want to be," Roethlisberger told reporters. "It's home. It's family. As much as my wife and kids are family, so is the Rooney family and my team and coaches."
Roethlisberger was going into the final year of the eight-year, $102 million contract he signed with the team in March 2008. He was set to make $11.6 million in 2015 and had a salary cap hit of $18.395 million this year. His new five-year salary offers $9 million in incentives.
“Having Ben has been a great run that we’ve had, so we’re really excited to continue the opportunity that having a player like Ben gives us to be competitive and to try and compete for championships," Steelers president Art Rooney II said. "There’s no other way to do it these days in the league.”
The 11-year veteran is coming off his best statistical season. He established career highs in passing yards (4,952), completions (408) and completion percentage (67.1). Roethlisberger also threw 32 touchdowns in leading the Steelers to the AFC North championship before losing to the Ravens in the wild-card round.
“This is where I want to be, and I’m just happy that I can be here,” Roethlisberger said. “Our first and foremost goal is winning Lombardi Trophies. I think we’ve got a good young football team with a lot of talent and a lot of ability, and that’s what I said coming over here — is there room in that trophy case for more trophies? Because that’s got to be our goal.”
Roethlisberger, who turned 33 in March, was drafted 11th overall by the Steelers in 2004. The three-time Pro Bowler and two-time Super Bowl champion has been the Steelers’ starting quarterback since the third game of the 2004 season, recordeding 39,057 passing yards, 251 touchdowns and 131 interceptions during his tenure. His 116 wins, including playoffs, are fourth-most among active NFL quarterbacks, behind Peyton Manning, Tom Brady and Drew Brees.
Roethlisberger will be joined by newly acquired running back DeAngelo Williams, Pittsburgh's first free-agent signing of the offseason, in 2015.