The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed Ben Roethlisberger to a new contract for 2021, it was announced Thursday.
“We are excited we were able to come to an agreement with Ben Roethlisberger on a new contract for him to return to the Steelers in 2021,” said General Manager and Vice President Kevin Colbert. “We know that Ben can still play at a high level and do special things for this team. Our goal remains the same – to put together a roster that will compete for another championship. We are happy that Ben will be one of our leaders to help us accomplish that goal.”
Roethlisberger, who has played in a Steelers record 233 games and started a record 231, came back strong in 2020 after missing the majority of the 2019 season with an elbow injury.
“It is my greatest honor to be a Pittsburgh Steeler and give my all for this organization,” said Roethlisberger, who will be entering his 18th season with the team. “I am grateful to be at this stage of my career and more than happy to adjust my contract in a way that best helps the team to address other players who are so vital to our success. I love this game and love to compete, and I believe in this team and my ability to deliver when called upon. It all starts with great preparation and I am ready to go.”
He completed 399 of 608 passes in 2020, tied for the second-most pass attempts in his career, for 3,803 yards, 33 touchdowns, second-most in his career, 10 interceptions and a career-low 13 sacks (not counting 2019 when he played in only two games).
For his career, Roethlisberger has completed 5,050 of 7,838 passes (64.4%) for 60,348 yards (seventh most in NFL history), 396 touchdowns and a 94.0 quarterback rating. In 14 of his 17 seasons he has thrown for at least 3,000 yards, including doing it 13 straight seasons from 2006-18, interrupted only by his injury in 2019 that forced him to miss the majority of the season. He also threw for at least 3,500 yards in six consecutive seasons, the longest streak in team history.
The Steelers records he holds are numerous and include the following career records: passing TDs (396), passing TDs of at least 60 yards (22), passing yards (60,348), passer rating (94.0), completions (5,050), pass attempts (7,838), completion percentage (64.4), yards per attempt (7.7), 300-yard passing games (66) and 3,000-yard passing seasons (14).
With Roethlisberger at quarterback, the Steelers have 11 postseason berths, won eight AFC North Championships, appeared in five AFC Championship games and three Super Bowls, winning two of them. Roethlisberger, a six-time Pro Bowl selection, became the youngest quarterback to ever win a Super Bowl when the team won Super Bowl XL, when he was 23, and the second-youngest quarterback to ever win a second Super Bowl when the Steelers won Super Bowl XLIII.
Story & Photo Credit: Teresa Varley/Steelers.com