The Pittsburgh Steelers have been reenergized by an offensive outburst the past few weeks spurred on by starting quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and his seemingly golden arm.
With Roethlisberger's contract set to expire after the 2015 NFL season, the Pittsburgh Steelers will likely have to shell out the big bucks in order to lock up Big Ben prior to his contract year.
As Mike Florio of NBC's Pro Football Talk points out, "the Steelers opted not to replace the last two years of Roethlisberger’s 2008 contract with a deal that better reflects his market value. After a pair of six-touchdown, no-pick games, Roethlisberger’s value is going up."
If things continue on their current upward trend, Roethlisberger could command a lot more after the 2014 NFL season than he would have asked for before the season.
If negotiations don't bear fruit before next September, Roethlisberger will hit the free market in 2016. That, or he will be due more than $22 million for one year under the franchise tag.
Either way, the Steelers will likely have to open up their pocketbooks in order to ensure that Roethlisberger remains a Pittsburgh staple for the remainder of his career.
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