Ben Roethlisberger of the Pittsburgh Steelers throws a pass during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Heinz Field on November 30, 2014 in Pittsburgh.Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Pittsburgh Steelers and quarterback Ben Roethlisberger have agreed on a contract extension to keep the franchise cornerstone in black and gold beyond his 12th NFL season.
The team announced the deal Friday on Twitter without giving details. Roethlisberger and Steelers President Art Rooney II were expected to speak during a news conference Friday evening.
The move keeps the two-time Super Bowl winner in Pittsburgh beyond a previous deal that was set to expire after the 2015 season.
The 33-year-old cornerstone of the franchise threw for 4,952 yards last season, breaking his own team record and tying with Drew Brees for the most yards passing in 2014. Roethlisberger also had 32 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert said last month that negotiations with Roethlisberger had begun with the goal of keeping him with the team for the rest of his career. Colbert said at the time he believes Roethlisberger can remain among the NFL's elite for the better part of the next decade.
The extension comes as the Steelers have been trying to address other serious needs, mostly on defence. Jason Worilds, one of the league's better free-agent linebackers, announced his retirement earlier this week at age 27, even as he was poised for a big payday as a free agent. Pittsburgh signed Arthur Moats to a three-year contract on Monday.
Pittsburgh has typically tried to re-sign quarterbacks with two years left on their deals, but took a calculated risk last spring by not extending Roethlisberger's deal and instead addressing other roster issues.
The Steelers then returned to the playoffs as AFC North champions with an exciting offence built around Roethlisberger, running back Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown.