PITTSBURGH — Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert would not commit to the future of quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, saying there is a "lot of work to be done" to determine what's best for the organization.
In a meeting on Wednesday with members of the Pittsburgh-area media, Colbert also said the Steelers might have to start evaluating current and future players differently with the type of college-style offense new coordinator Matt Canada will install — including quarterback.
But, like coach Mike Tomlin and team president Art Rooney II before him, Colbert was vague about whether Roethlisberger will return for the 2021 season, though he acknowledged his two-time Super Bowl-winning quarterback told him he wants to return. He cited Roethlisberger's $41.2 million salary cap hit "first and foremost" as the biggest hurdle that has to be overcome.
"We told him we have to look at this current situation," Colbert said. "With Ben's current cap number, some adjustments will have to be made. Hopefully there's a way we can figure out what's best for the organization. Hopefully he can see that and feel the same way. There's a lot of work to be done."
Colbert also said decisions the Steelers have to make to be in compliance with what is expected to be a flattened salary cap will determine what type of team the Steelers can put together in 2021, suggesting it might not be to what Roethlisberger is accustomed.
"Then we're making a guesstimate, for our sake and Ben's sake, what type of team can we put together around him," Colbert said.
Roethlisberger had short meetings after the season with Rooney, Tomlin and Colbert and will meet with them again, possibly at the end of this week. That meeting had originally been scheduled for last week.
One thing that will change dramatically for the Steelers in 2021: the running game, which ranked last in the NFL last season.
"The group of guys we had last year did not produce a good running game," Colbert said. "To put out the type of running game we did, nobody was good enough."
To that end, Colbert called the offensive line an "uncertain group" right now with retirement of Maurkice Pouncey, Al Villanueva and Matt Feiler being free agents and Zach Banner coming off an ACL injury. "It's our biggest area of losses," he said.
Meantime, despite their 11-0 start and 12-4 record, Colbert called the 2020 season a disappointment. And he didn't shrink from the blame.
"Any season that ends without a Super Bowl is never good enough," he said. "I know the job I did, whatever that roster was, it wasn't good enough. It is my job to put a 53-man roster together that isn't coming up short at end of season."
