Ben Roethlisberger salary: How much did the Steelers QB earn in 2021?

Ben Roethlisberger and the Pittsburgh Steelers had to get creative with his contract during the 2021 season. The confusing NFL salary cap system allows for getting creative to be an easy thing to do.

Roethlisberger signed a whopping two-year, $68 million extension back before the 2019 season. He needed another year for 2021, and that is where the creativity came in, in order to help the Steelers have more financial flexibility.

So just how much did Roethlisberger earn this year in what appears to be his final year in Pittsburgh?

How much did Ben Roethlisberger get paid in 2021?

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Spotrac has Roethlisberger's yearly cash value at $14 million. A look at further details shows how the Steelers paid him that while working around the cap. Roethlisberger took home $14 million in cash.

Yet his cap hit overall was $25.9 million, and he carried a $36.275 million dead cap value. The creativity came with the signing bonus. On the books, Roethlisberger's base salary was just over one million dollars. The rest was included as a signing bonus.

His signing bonus is also spread out through 2025, leaving over $10 million total in dead cap on the books for the Steelers until then. So while the Steelers paid Roethlisberger $14 million, their books are a bit of a mess to get to that value.

Roethlisberger never received one of the record-setting quarterback deals that are currently seen on the market. He signed a six-year extension in 2008 that was worth nearly $88 million. Then came a four-year deal in 2015 for just over $87 million. So he was always making good money, but nothing in the range of what the likes of Dak Prescott and Patrick Mahomes are getting now.

The most money the Steelers legend earned in one season was the $40 million he was paid in 2019 as part of his two-year, $68 million extension. That cash explains why he was likely willing to take a pay cut in 2021. Then again, $14 million is no small amount of money.

Roethlisberger now needs to figure out if he wants to continue playing elsewhere in 2022. One option is to take the path Philip Rivers did in 2020 with the Indianapolis Colts. The veteran made $25 million on a one-year deal before heading to retirement this year.

Such a dollar amount may be what it takes for Roethlisberger to join a new club. He does not need to do a new team any financial favors, like he has done in Pittsburgh. Instead, he should focus on joining a team where he has a chance to win a Super Bowl.

If a team wants a one-year option, paying $20-25 million to a quarterback is not too much to ask in the current market. That means, Roethlisberger may be in for one more big payday before calling it a career.

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