The leader in sports media came out with a list of Super Bowl Timelines. ESPN broke down every single team and their chances of getting a Super Bowl in the near future. President Art Rooney II said he will not rebuild in the 2020 offseason, but Ben Roethlisberger will need to take a pay cut in order for their salary cap situation to work.
Ben and his agent talked with Art Rooney II after the Steelers were eliminated to the Browns in the Wild-Card round. Those discussions quickly broke down and both sides decided to take time away before discussing a new deal for Ben. It was a good idea to take time away to avoid making any decisions through emotion.
ESPN says Ben Roethlisberger's best shot at one more Super Bowl was in 2020. Ben's run fell short. The Steeler's future hangs in the balance with what they decide to do with Ben Roethlisberger in the offseason.
If he decides to retire then it will leave them with Mason Rudolph, Dwayne Haskins, and another quarterback they decide to bring in during the offseason. If he returns for another year like he says he is going to do then the Steelers will have to get creative to bring down his contract for the 2021 season. The Steelers will have to restructure and extend contracts if they want to keep their core together in 2021 and in the near future.
Thirteen teams have better odds than the Steelers to win next year's Super Bowl. Ahead of the Steelers are the Colts at 25-1 and behind them are the Cowboys at 30-1. The Steelers have the toughest schedule in the league in 2021 based on their opponents' combined record of 143-111-2 (.563) in 2020. It includes nine games against 2020 playoff teams, counting the Browns and Ravens twice.
Buckle up Steeler fans. It's going to be a bumpy ride in 2021.