Getty Images[/caption]The Pittsburgh Steelers have informed quarterback Ben Roethlisberger that they will not sign him to a long-term contract this offseason but after the 2014 NFL season, ESPN reports.
Steelers president Art Rooney II told Big Ben's agent, Ryan Tollner, that they plan to sign the franchise QB to a new deal following the upcoming season.
Roethlisberger, 32, has two years left on his eight-year, $102 million contract that he signed back in 2008.
The issue for Pittsburgh is that a lot of others players will be on their expiring deals while Big Ben still has two years left. However, salary cap is expected to rise in 2015, which gives the team more wiggle room to spend so it's smarter that they sign Roethlisberger next year.
"Ben wants to be part of a winning team, to be in a position to compete for championships, and he understands that in order to do that we need to try to keep as many of the other players around as we can," Rooney said. "Addressing the players who are going into the final years of their contract in 2014 makes sense. That's what he and I talked about."
Big Ben is entering 11th season of his NFL career. Last season, he threw for 4,261 yards, 28 touchdowns and 14 interceptions along with a 92 QB rating.
