Ben Says Wants To Play 2021

I'm not sure Fitchner can run a Connect 4 offense, much less play checkers.

 

Ben and Fichtner would have trouble just getting the tight plastic wrapping off a new chess game.

 

I live in dallas. Dak is not all that. Hesreally good but this KNucklehead also turned down over 100 million guaranteed. He's not coming here.

 

I posted this elsewhere, but I expect Ben back next year and better than this year. Not great, but adequate.

 

If he is playing 2021 there is no might about it, they absolutely will extend him another year, probably even two to soften the cap hit in 2021. A two year extension gets his cap hit down to around $28m from $41m

That doesn’t necessarily mean he plays 2022/23 however

 

Man, I don't know. Extending Ben just kicks the cap hit down the road. Save $ for 2021, but to what end? I could get the 'all-in' strategy for 2020. It was risky, but trying to get one last good year out of Ben, with a top D, hope things go well and make a run. I get that.

But I don't think that can work in 2021. Ben's a yr older, so are Pouncey, DeCastro, Haden and Cam. They may well lose Juju, Bud and Connor as FAs. They got some replacement parts, but I can't see this team getting better in 2021. Pushing cap money into 2022-3, makes the retool/rebuild even harder.

 

I made exactly the same point in another thread. 2020 looks like the last stand with Ben to me. He won’t have the pieces around him next year. I don’t really see the point in him staying on and pushing more cap money around when the Super Bowl window will be well and truly closed.

 

The presence of Hurts definitely makes the Eagles' situation better. It is a bit early to say, but he could actually be a long-term answer for them. The Steelers don't have that.

 

It was a risk guaranteeing a $68 million dollar contract for a QB at that age. A big risk. Plus, it seems as if they gave Ben unilateral control of the offense which has become one dimensional and predictable. They will have to have a lot of things go right for them next year to make a run.

 

There will be a lot of fans who want Ben gone and when we have a repeat of 2019 for three years in a row, they won't be able to figure out why we suck.

 

I just checked it says dead cap would be 22 million plus, total cap is 41 and change. I dont know how gurus figure this stuff out, but read earlier this year that an extension could actually bring that cap hit down to under 10 million, even as low as 7 million *of course depending on the terms. Even if Ben only wants to play 1 year, a 1-2 year extension with Bradyesque type numbers (while he was a Pat) could benefit the team short and long term. Not sure if he has that mindset, but with a deflated cap nest year (assuming he comes back) he may want to extend to get the team some extra cash for FA's.

Another thing that can (and will) affect the team is Colbert's decision. Does he retire, go another year, or bolt to someplace like Carolina to try and build from scratch as one last challenge?

 

Honestly do not know a lot about him except what some talk shows have stated, the one thing that scares me is 50 rushing attempts for 49 yards, we already have enough QB's that have a hard time making 1 yard..(note sarcasm)

 

In between our elite QB's and, coincidentally, our SB wins.

1. Mark Malone 23-30-0 with 2 playoff starts (1-1) in 7 years.
2. Bubby Brister 37-38-0 with 2 playoff starts (1-1) in 7 years.
3. Neil ODonnell 39-22-0 with 7 playoff starts (3-4) in 5 years.
4. Kordell Stewart 46-29-0 with 4 playoff starts (2-2) in 6 years (at QB)
5. I didn't bother to mention Maddox, Stoudt, and Tomczak.
6. 22 years, with 20 playoff appearances and zero Super Bowls wins.......... NO THANKS!

You don't win in this league without an elite QB, and while Ben is old, he is better than most and still has the mind of an elite QB.

 

But hey MT can be mentioned for HC of the year for going 8-8 with the Duckster.

 

I honestly don't care about the money. For the vast majority of us fans, NFL money is waaaaaay beyond our comprehension and regardless of how much money the Steelers have ever paid a player, I have never been able to say.... "man if we just had that extra x million dollars to play with, it would made the difference"

 

The people who mention MT for coach of the year have never looked at what he has had to work with; just his record.

If MT had been hired as HC by one of the bottom dwelling teams, he would have been back to a coordinator position in 1-3 years and stayed there.

 

He should come back next yr., and the F.O. needs to put a real understudy behind him to learn for the yr.

 

Not sure how. The 'dead' money is money already paid. The signing bonus and restructures that turned salary to SB to free up space and move the hit down the road. Now...if part of that 21-2 is bonus money due for the 21 season he could delay it under a new deal I suppose (not sure about that). Or, if part of that 21-2 is guaranteed salary for 2021, you can extend and get rid of that salary for 2021 and put it under the new deal and reduce the 2021 hit further. But, as said above that's simply kicking it down the road unless you can procure a miracle and have him give up some guaranteed money that hasn't been received yet. He's still gonna get, it's a matter of when it's accounted for.

 

You’re correct in that the $22m is money already paid and that is locked in for 2021 regardless of what happens, extension, retirement etc. He is due $19m in salary however, and that can be partly or fully converted in to a bonus and stretched over 2-3 years depending on the extension they give him.

If the do an extension with a max restructure Bens total cap hit in 2021 will be around $28m. He may not actually play the additional year(s), this is how the Saints are managing Drew Brees and what the Pats did with Brady also

 

So we are locked in to the 20-30 million range regardless? That's what QB's are getting, even less productive (sans those on rookie deals)...my point...a lot of other teams are paying as much and getting far less for their buck

 

$22m is locked in, it’s on the cap sheet whether Ben plays or not in 2021. What we need to consider is the salary, if they stretch it out over three seasons he is effectively adding a cap charge of $6.3m in 2021 over and above that $22m. Doubt we would get a free agent that can give you his level of play for that, so a no brainer.

The big question is whether Ben will want new guarantees if they are doing an extension. I expect not, but if he and his agents are looking for that it becomes a much trickier negotiation.

 

Rudolph will be the #2 next year imo, #1 if Ben is not. I see the Steelers giving him another shot before they get serious about finding their next hof qb.

 

The decision making and accuracy is there, and against the SEC. He is a true pocket passer. Of course I would love to have a Lawerence or Mahomes but if I had to choose between a Trask or a Lawrence Jackson I'm taking Trask all day long.