If Ben Roethlisberger keeps playing, the Steelers will need to know how to reduce his cap number of $ 41.25 million.

Steelers coach Mike Tomlin claimed on Wednesday that he is not fully aware of the dynamics related to the midfield division Ben RothlesbergerFee cap for 2021.

“I am You do not have a clear assessment From the overall impact of the fallout of the cap, so I might not have a straight answer to your question, “Tomlin said. But I think it’s reasonable to assume there is a chance to definitely come back. Deep fallout of the cover discussions, I’m not aware of it because I’m sitting here now.”

If Tomlin is reading this, here’s the truth: Roethlisberger’s 2021 fee is $ 41.25 million.

If Roethlisberger retires, it would still be $ 22.25 million. The challenge becomes, if Ben continues his career, he comes out with an extension that would, in practice, put the final shipment somewhere between $ 22.25 million and $ 41.25 million.

$ 22.75 million is the bottom line, given that it is the last installment of his most recent signing bonus ($ 12.5 million) and his most recent restructuring bonus ($ 9.75 million). Roethlisberger earns a list bonus of $ 15 million on the third day of the 2021 League year, along with a base salary of $ 4 million during the regular season. The flexibility comes from reconfiguring $ 19 million into amounts that apply to existing and future ceilings.

With a minimum salary of $ 1.075 million for players with seven or more years of experience, Steelers can convert $ 17.925 million into a signature bonus that will be distributed over time. The question then becomes how much of this amount will be applied through 2021, and how much will be applied in the coming years.

For example, if the Steelers awarded Ben a new four-year contract with three dummy years, they could slice $ 17.925 million into four equal parts worth $ 4.48 million each. This will push the 2021 cap figure to $ 26.73 million and pay $ 13.44 million into the coming years. Then, if 2021 becomes its last year, then $ 13.44 million in fees will apply in 2022.

While $ 26.73 million wouldn’t hurt as much as $ 41.25 million, it’s still a big ceiling fee. And remember this: Ben must agree to a new deal. If he says, “I’ll only honor my contract,” the Steelers would have to know whether or not he would pay him $ 15 million on March 19.

Under this scenario, he would ensure that he would not owe Pittsburgh any of the $ 12.5 million unearned signing bonus money.

If cut, will Ben Rothlesberger play for another team? Probably not, but we said the same about Brett Favre and Peyton Manning W. Philip Rivers And the Tom Brady.

So these are the options: retire, go back on the remaining deal, extend the contract to drop the cap fee, or tear up the remainder of the contract and make Ben a free agent, for the first time in his career.