The Steelers have already lost a player due to retirement and more may be on the way. Will this affect Ben Roethlisberger’s decision to return?
After a disappointing end to the 2020 season, we knew that the Steelers would be very different in 2021. Pittsburgh is currently one of the most limited teams in the NFL, and they are estimated to have about $ 34 million in the hole, according to Over the Cap. However, there are several decisions that Steelers can make to return to positive money.
Fortunately, some of these decisions have already been made by them. On January 22, Vance McDonald issued his official retirement statement for the team. Two days later, Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported that Maurkice Pouncey informed teammates that he was “probably retiring”.
Steelers C Maurkice Pouncey told companions that he will likely retire after 11 seasons. Unless there is a change of opinion, we can make a decision soon, according to the sources.
– Gerry Dulac (@gerrydulac) January 24, 2021
Pouncey would end his decorative career with 9 Pro Bowl entries and 2 first team All-Pro awards. While we may have a discussion about whether he was overrated or not, he was still an excellent choice for the first round and will likely fall as one of the best Steelers forwards in the modern era.
McDonald’s hasn’t done much for the team in the past two years, but his 2018 season was unforgettable. Although he fell short of the Pro Bowl honors, he managed to catch 50 balls for 610 yards and 4 touchdowns, and it was a nightmare to drop after receiving.
These two players combined to play 15 seasons in Pittsburgh, and it’s no secret that they were two of Ben Roethlisberger’s closest friends on the team.
Will veterans who are retiring from the Steelers influence Ben’s decision to return?
Although many believe that Roethlisberger will return to play the final year of his contract, this is not a decision set in stone. With all of the recent changes, you need to start wondering if all of them will have an impact on Big Ben’s decision for the 2021 season.
In addition to losing McDonald and Pouncey, Roethlisberger will be without Randy Fichtner – the offensive coordinator he helped hire. Now this Matt Canada was officially hired as the new offensive coordinator, Roethlisberger may be willing to stick around. However, it is possible that Canada will bring a whole new style of offensive to this team that desperately lacked creativity in 2020.
In addition to these changes, the Steelers are far from losing veterans. Several high-profile names are set to hit the market, such as Bud Dupree, Matt Feiler, Mike Hilton and James Conner. Even Ben’s escape valve in the pass game, JuJu Smith-Schuster, will likely sign elsewhere, as Pittsburgh doesn’t have the funds to maintain it. In addition, Alejandro Villanueva is another player who can still choose to retire or sign with another team.
Whether Pittsburgh wants to admit it or not, this team is in the early stages of a rebuild and could end up with up to 10 new players next season. Ben Roethlisberger still has some time to make his decision, but with so many veteran friends who won’t be there anymore, retirement should be on your mind.