QB Ben Roethlisberger could play for Steelers in 2022?

Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger took a pay cut to offer the franchise needed salary-cap relief this past offseason and agreed to a deal that automatically voids at the conclusion of the upcoming campaign. The 39-year-old looked his age during the second half of the 2020 season, and many have assumed the Steelers will go in a different direction as it pertains to the quarterback position next year. 

That may not be the case. 

"It's not written in stone that this is his last year," Steelers team owner and president Art Rooney said of Roethlisberger Tuesday, per Brooke Pryor of ESPN. 

"We're aware this could be Ben's last year," Rooney added. "We hope it's a great one. That's as far as we can go with it right now. Obviously, if this is his last year, then next year we'll be making decisions on a quarterback, and we'll address it as the time comes up." 

Meanwhile, general manager Kevin Colbert said that "none of us know" about Roethlisberger's status beyond 2021. 

A report surfaced last month that Roethlisberger was "obsessed" with maintaining an improved diet and with his workouts as he prepares for what may be his final season with the Steelers and in the NFL, in general. As Ron Cook of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette noted, some have questioned the signal-caller's overall fitness after getting views of him during the early days of training camp.