Big Ben Vows To Help Steelers With $41M Cap Hit

[Steel Maniac]

Interesting, I just read an article stating that the two sides are planning on meeting the week after the Super Bowl. In the meeting, the Steelers will lay out their vision, and Ben will decide whether or not he wants to be part of it. It said that the Steelers did not want to be the ones to force him out, but this is their way of doing things the way they want and letting the final decision rest with Ben. I'm guessing they are still hurting on the Troy forced retirement.

That is something I'm fine with...Ben, you are welcome to stay under these contract guidelines and know the following: no Pouncey, no JuJu, take a look at the gameplan of your new OC - this is the offense you will be running if you return. We are happy to have you return, but under our terms.

I wish you ran the meetings. Your displaying some balls when your telling him no Pouncey, no juju etc. etc. I don’t know if that type of ballsy talk will be communicated.

[NJ-STEELER]

Yeah.. I’m sure they felt better vs Mason than Ben after the first quarter of each of those games.. lmao

did you miss the first game of the season between the 2? you actually think they were more afraid og facing mason then ben?

the guy you laughed at being the future qb of this team until that last game of the season

typical idiotic response from you

[SteelerMaine83]

I wish you ran the meetings. Your displaying some balls when your telling him no Pouncey, no juju etc. etc. I don’t know if that type of ballsy talk will be communicated.

I certainly think that is what needs to be communicated to Ben. No matter how much he reduces his contract, bringing Pouncey back (and not taking his cap savings) will put them in the same hole. I would let Ben know that when he talks Pouncey out of retirement he also needs to tell him his salary will be the veteran minimum, just like Ben.

Guessing Ben is probably not good at math.

[SteelerMaine83]

Truth is, Juju is very unlikely to come back. The salary cap gymnastics necessary to do that would be crippling at what he should command on the market. After we sort out Ben (and his buddy Pouncey) we will be lucky to retain what the consider two key (and perhaps affordable) pieces for setting up our draft: Sutton and Banner. If we don’t sign those two we will have gaping holes going into the draft that we’ll need to fill really cheaply.

So Ben, do the math and either accept neither Pouncey nor Juju will return, or retire. Geesh!

[Steel Maniac]

I agree SteelerMaine. 100%

[Steel Maniac]

Truth is, Juju is very unlikely to come back. The salary cap gymnastics necessary to do that would be crippling at what he should command on the market. After we sort out Ben (and his buddy Pouncey) we will be lucky to retain what the consider two key (and perhaps affordable) pieces for setting up our draft: Sutton and Banner. If we don’t sign those two we will have gaping holes going into the draft that we’ll need to fill really cheaply.

So Ben, do the math and either accept neither Pouncey nor Juju will return, or retire. Geesh!

I’d love to hear from Rooney on what is the five year vision for this team going forward.

[whatever]

I certainly think that is what needs to be communicated to Ben. No matter how much he reduces his contract, bringing Pouncey back (and not taking his cap savings) will put them in the same hole. I would let Ben know that when he talks Pouncey out of retirement he also needs to tell him his salary will be the veteran minimum, just like Ben.

Guessing Ben is probably not good at math.

Won’t Ben and pouncey get paid more if they decide to retire compared to tearing up their contract and agree to play for vet minimum?

[hawaiiansteel]

I’d love to hear from Rooney on what is the five year vision for this team going forward.

perhaps you should go find another team to root for and come back in 5 years.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

Won’t Ben and pouncey get paid more if they decide to retire compared to tearing up their contract and agree to play for vet minimum?

If Ben and/or Pouncey retire, neither will receive any money. The amounts on their respective cap hits ($22.25M for Ben and $6.475 for Pouncey) is money that has already been paid to them in the form of bonuses. There is no new money and the Steelers carry those costs against the cap in 2021 regardless of whether or not they play.

Using Ben as an example, he is due a $15M roster bonus and $4M salary in 2021. If his contract is torn up, and a new salary is paid, his new cap hit for next year will still be added to the $22.25M.

[Northern_Blitz]

If Ben and/or Pouncey retire, neither will receive any money. The amounts on their respective cap hits ($22.25M for Ben and $6.475 for Pouncey) is money that has already been paid to them in the form of bonuses. There is no new money and the Steelers carry those costs against the cap in 2021 regardless of whether or not they play.

Using Ben as an example, he is due a $15M roster bonus and $4M salary in 2021. If his contract is torn up, and a new salary is paid, his new cap hit for next year will still be added to the $22.25M.

This. The cap hits aren't the money they make. It's a reflection of the bonuses they got in the past.

[whatever]

If Ben and/or Pouncey retire, neither will receive any money. The amounts on their respective cap hits ($22.25M for Ben and $6.475 for Pouncey) is money that has already been paid to them in the form of bonuses. There is no new money and the Steelers carry those costs against the cap in 2021 regardless of whether or not they play.

Using Ben as an example, he is due a $15M roster bonus and $4M salary in 2021. If his contract is torn up, and a new salary is paid, his new cap hit for next year will still be added to the $22.25M.

Awesome, thanks.
I assumed they had some guaranteed money coming either way.

[whatever]

Whatever...care to put some context around this?

Was it in regards to the post above it?

I don't think Rooney is an idiot for wondering if bringing Ben back is worthwhile at given his cap hit and recent performance...if that rumor isn't just 100% made up.

Sure.
He says he would want the exact same team back next year.

[steeler_fan_in_t.o.]

I wish you ran the meetings. Your displaying some balls when your telling him no Pouncey, no juju etc. etc. I don’t know if that type of ballsy talk will be communicated.

They called, but I'm busy that week.

FWIW I never take what they say publicly seriously. It's all mediaspeak. I don't know if they will draw a line on Pouncey coming back or not, but I don't expect them to tell the media that they are dumping one of the most respected members of the team regardless. It also won't surprise me if they privately tell Ben that they want him to take less if he wants to stay next season, because if he declines then they still want the full happy, smiley press conference retirement that he deserves as maybe the greatest QB in Steeler history.

[Steel Maniac]

They called, but I'm busy that week.

FWIW I never take what they say publicly seriously. It's all mediaspeak. I don't know if they will draw a line on Pouncey coming back or not, but I don't expect them to tell the media that they are dumping one of the most respected members of the team regardless. It also won't surprise me if they privately tell Ben that they want him to take less if he wants to stay next season, because if he declines then they still want the full happy, smiley press conference retirement that he deserves as maybe the greatest QB in Steeler history.

They have to be classy about it whenever it’s over for Ben. But to just pay him big doe when the lines and the linebacker corps is being rebuilt for the future is just wasting money and delaying us in aggressively looking for our QB of the future.

[Northern_Blitz]

Sure.
He says he would want the exact same team back next year.

I think this was more about the D, but sure.

Put that in context, and it's I think he's also saying he knows things are going to change on the roster and it's going to be a net negative because of the cap situation.

I'd take the 2020 roster over the 2021 one too.