Pittsburgh is looking to keep Ben Roethlisberger for a little bit longer.
The Steelers working on an extension for the 15-year signal caller, according to ESPN, which cited an unidentified league source.
According to the report, the team wants to get a deal done before Thursday's NFL Draft. Roethlisberger, 37, was drafted by Pittsburgh in 2004 and is entering the final season of a four-year, $87.6 million contract he inked in 2015.
The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, citing an unidentified source, reported Wednesday the two sides are close to finalizing a new three-year contract for Ben Roethlisberger that should be announced later in the day.
The two sides apparently have been working on the deal since the end of last season.
Pittsburgh posted a 9-6-1 record in 2018, which was good for second in the AFC North. Roethlisberger led the league in passing, throwing for a career-high 5,129 yards and 34 touchdowns. He also led the league in passing attempts.
The two-time Super Bowl champion ranks sixth all time in passing yards and seventh in touchdowns, and it appears the Steelers want to reward him for those contributions.
The Steelers have a promising running back in James Conner returning next season after he rushed for 973 yards and 12 touchdowns in his first year as a starter. But the team also traded elite wideout Antonio Brown and lost top-notch running back Le'Veon Bell to free agency.
They retained an up-and-coming target in JuJu Smith-Schuster, but may have to depend on the draft to fill in some gaps.
Pittsburgh has 10 picks in the upcoming draft, but only one is in the first round Thursday.