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  • you see the numbers on here, and based on his current contract, he has the biggest salary cap hit of any player in league history.

  • This coming here.

  • So let's come out and let's talk it.

  • And Chris Canty.

  • I'm starting with you as you listen to the O and G would is ready to go.

  • He gets up with us this morning as well.

  • Good morning, Damien, Woody, But I will start with you again.

  • Chris Canty, as you listen to him.

  • Talk right there.

  • What thoughts go through your mind?

  • Well, right now, the Pittsburgh Steelers are in a tough spot because Ben Roethlisberger is not a quarterback that should command a $41 million cap it, And so because he can't elevate the talent level around him, I think it puts them in a very tough spot in terms of how to handle the legend with that franchise.

  • Ben Roethlisberger is not the quarterback that can push the ball down the field like we couldn't yesteryear, and because of that, it limits your offense.

  • So G.

  • In my opinion, I think there's a cap on how good the Steelers could be in 2021 with him under center just because he limits what your offense could do.

  • And as you heard the GM talking, did it remind you of anything else we've heard in the NFL in the last couple of weeks?

  • Yeah, not so long ago, we heard the general manager for the Los Angeles Rams less need say that Jared Golf was their quarterback.

  • For the moment, it kind of gives off the same vibe.

  • What Kevin Colbert said from the Pittsburgh Steelers yesterday, Yeah, let's need said that.

  • And about a week later, Jared golf was a Detroit lion.

  • We're not suggesting that's on the verge of happening here with Ben, but you never know.

  • All right, let's go to field on this.

  • Here is we're working with the woods signal.

  • Uh, field, What is your perspective on this?

  • And on Roethlisberger on the money and the the option here that we might be seeing the end of an extremely successful era.

  • Yeah, first of all, greenie like this kind of came out of nowhere, right?

  • It's not that we didn't think that Ben Roethlisberger was gonna have to redo his contract, but I think many myself included Figured Oh, yeah, Ben just gonna redo his contract and he'll be back with the Steelers now.

  • The idea that Ben Roethlisberger won't be a Steeler has at least entered the conversation.

  • So you mentioned the $41.5 million cap it for Ben Roethlisberger.

  • He's gonna count, no matter what, $22.5 million for the Steelers this year.

  • This problem is somewhat self inflicted by this dealers because they've been pushing his cap it further and further and further down the road until this year.

  • But they also had no control over the Cove in 19 Pandemic.

  • The part that I'm having the hardest time figuring out for the Pittsburgh Steelers is if if they do move on from Ben Roethlisberger because they either can't find a middle ground on his contract, or they just don't believe that Ben is the quarterback to lead them in 2021 Where do they turn?

  • Instead, there isn't an in house option right now.

  • Mason Rudolph is not a player that I believe could take the Steelers back to the playoffs next season and because of where they're going to draft this year.

  • Having had a successful for the most part 2020 season.

  • It's not like there's any guarantee they could pick a quarterback.

  • They could immediately come in and revitalize this offense.

  • The Steelers air one of the teams, along with the Saints and the Eagles, that could look as different as any other from 2020 to 2021.

  • This Ben wrinkle is very fascinating.

  • S so Chris.

  • I mean, it's a complicated situation you face because he's a legend and he's done enormous things for your franchise, and you want to let him sort of go out in a graceful way.

  • But at the same time, if you have made the decision that with Roethlisberger, your future has a limit, then maybe the key is to start moving on as quickly as possible.

  • Franchises have to balance that, and this is a complicated one.

  • No, it is complicated, but I think it's a situation where they got to go ahead and rip the band aid off because they can't move this program forward with Ben Roethlisberger being on this team because, as I mentioned before, he's a limited quarterback and throws of 20 yards down the field arm or and in just in completion percentage, Ben Roethlisberger among starters ranked 27th, which is right behind Jared Golf and right in front of Andy Dalton.

  • That's where you don't wanna be if you're the Pittsburgh Steelers, so at some point you're gonna have to move off of him, and it just feels like this is the opportunity that you have to do that in.

  • It doesn't feel great, but you can't let Ben Roethlisberger cost you the potential free agents that you'd like to keep in Pittsburgh.

  • Well, I get that part of it, and that is, they have to figure out money for a bunch of other guys, including some big names on defense.

  • They'll have to pay, but it's easy to say Move on.

  • It's complicated, As Field is saying to say, Move on to whom?

  • This is not a team that rebuild.

  • They reload on the fly.

  • So if not been next year, then who?

  • Well, I think you have to look at Mason, Rudolph and Dwayne Haskins and see what you have there in a competition.

  • But it's not gonna be a pretty picture.

  • It's not gonna be a simple answer for Kevin Colbert.

  • It's an ugly situation, but you also have to remember what is going to be the identity of your team moving forward.

  • It's gonna be on the defensive side of the ball.

  • You'd like to hold on to some of those star works that you have.

  • But Dupri, a free agent that's impending TJ.

  • What?

  • They're gonna have to address this contract.

  • I would wanna hang onto those guys more so than pay Ben Roethlisberger to be my quarterback.

  • Skins is two years removed from being Ah, high first round pick in the NFL draft is a fascinating wild card in all of this.

  • If they can unlock the magic there, then maybe they wind up pulling something out.

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you see the numbers on here, and based on his current contract, he has the biggest salary cap hit of any player in league history.

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