Big Ben’s New Deal: Details, Comparisons to Other QB’s

The inevitable finally happened on Wednesday. The Pittsburgh Steelers and long-time quarterback Ben Roethlisberger agreed on a new deal that will ensure Roethlisberger retires in Pittsburgh, as the quarterback is kept under contract through the 2021 season.

The deal, per Adam Schefter of ESPN, sees Big Ben get a major pay raise, as the two year extension is worth a total of $68 million. Roethlisberger’s 2019 cap hit will remain the same

That’s big money, even in today’s modern NFL where commas seem to grow on trees for paychecks. Yet where does Big Ben’s contract rank among his peers?

(All figures/tables courtesy of Spotrac.com)

Overall Value

In terms of total value, Roethlisberger’s $68 million extension currently qualifies for 15th-best among active quarterbacks.

Note that all quarterbacks listed above are on deals lasting three or more years. Roethlisberger’s two year deal after the 2019 season ranks ahead of names like Drew Brees (2 yr, $60 million) and Tom Brady (2 yr, $30 million).

Base Value

The base value of Roethlisberger’s new deal hovers over the $30 million range, coming in at $31.5 million to be precise. This is good enough to land Ben in the top three of average salary for quarterbacks, ranking only behind Russell Wilson ($35 million per year) and Aaron Rodgers ($33.5 million per year).

Listed below are the top ten quarterbacks in annual salary on their current deals:

Guaranteed Money at Signing

Roethlisberger’s new deal sees a whopping $67.5 million in guaranteed money. $37.5 million originates from a signing bonus, while another $30 million attributes to injury guarantees, protecting the quarterback should anything devastating happen.

Roethlisberger again finds himself near the top of the list, coming in as the fifth highest QB in terms of guaranteed money at signing. Listed below are the four quarterbacks above him:

It was unlikely Roethlisberger touched Matt Ryan-like levels of guaranteed money, yet Roethlisberger still made out handsomely thanks to the extra $30 million in injury guarantees. Had that stipulation not been added, Ben would drop all the way down to tie Philip Rivers for 14th-highest in guarantees at $37.5 million.

Ben Roethlisberger’s legacy will go down as one of the greatest to ever put on a Steelers uniform. His new deal now cements his legacy has the highest paid Steeler of all-time, as well. While only two years, Roethlisberger’s last contract is indicative of the organization’s feelings towards their quarterback.