Pittsburgh Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert isn't quite ready to say quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is in the later stages of his career.
"I hope he plays forever," said Colbert from the NFL scouting combine when asked about Roethlisberger's late-career turn.
But Colbert also understands the dynamics: His 34-year-old quarterback said five weeks ago that he would evaluate his options during the offseason. That means the Steelers might need to plan for the future at quarterback sooner rather than later. Colbert is keeping an open mind and is ready for all scenarios.
"He is getting older. He's getting better," said Colbert about Roethlisberger. "He was hit less this year than any other in his career. Chances are he will extend his career. We don't know how long it will go. But you always have to be prepared to select a quarterback at some point. He's aware of that, we've talked about it. He understands that, hey, if we add someone into the mix we will do that at some point. But it doesn't change way we scout. We scout the entire draft class. We don't do it by position. Every year we scout the top quarterbacks even when Ben was a younger player."
The Steelers haven't selected a quarterback in the top three rounds of the draft since Roethlisberger went 11th overall in 2004. The team could re-sign free agent Landry Jones, the former fourth-round pick who has backed up Roethlisberger the last two years. The team still owns the rights to Zach Mettenberger.
Team president Art Rooney II said after the season that he'd like to see more depth at the position, which could mean additional free agent or draft help.
Last offseason, Colbert told ESPN he believed Roethlisberger had three to four prime years left. Roethlisberger enters the third year of a five-year contract that comes with an $18.2 million salary cap in 2017.
