Jason Cole of the Bleacher Report expects Steelers QB Ben Roethlisberger to target a substantial pay raise during the offseason , considering that he is currently in the midst of a very impressive 2014 season.
According to Cole, Roethlisberger’s reps are likely to make the case that Big Ben can play in any offense and given the fact that he has already won two Super Bowls in his career, Roethlisberger could be targeting a deal that would pay him as much as top-two or three quarterbacks in the league.
Cole suggests Roethlisberger could make as much as $23 – $24 million per year in his next contract.
There are currently no negotiations going on between the Steelers and Roethlisberger, which isn’t all that surprising. Pittsburgh is known for shutting down contract negotiations once the season is underway.
Roethlisberger, 32, is in the seven year of his eight-year, $102 million contract that includes $33.2 million guaranteed. He is set to earn $12.1 million for the upcoming season and another $11.6 million in 2015, which is a far cry from the type of money less accomplished quarterbacks are making right now.
Should Big Ben secure a top-five contract for quarterbacks in terms of total guarantees, he’s looking at close to $45.5 million.
This season, Roethlisberger has thrown for 2,270 yards while completing 68.3 percent of his passes to go along with 22 touchdowns and three interceptions.
Pro Football Focus has him rated as the No. 1 quarterback in the league through nine weeks.
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