Omar Khan, Dan Rooney, Mike Tomlin, Kevin Colbert and the Roethlisberger family. — DEJAN KOVACEVIC

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

He’s the face of the franchise, and the franchise itself is our city’s face to the rest of the world, so it’s easy to imagine that Ben Roethlisberger was anything but alone Friday when he beamed, “It’s kind of hard to contain my smile when I’m excited to be at a place like this, to be home, and to be able to be here for my whole career.”

It’s home, all right. And family. In every way.

If that ever came into question — or even just reckless rumor-mongering — then let this singular scene at the Steelers’ headquarters on the South Side dispel it once and for all.

There, as the headliners, were Roethlisberger and Art Rooney II taking turns at the press-room podium to announce the five-year extension — $99 million guaranteed, another $9 available in escalator clauses — that the team and the quarterback had achieved earlier in the afternoon. Those two haven’t always seen eye to eye. It was Rooney who ran off Bruce Arians, Roethlisberger’s beloved coordinator and good friend. It was Rooney who insisted Roethlisberger rein in his Ben-being-Ben ways and become more of a pocket passer. And yeah, it was Roethlisberger who resisted every which way but walking out, from pouting about the new playbook to sarcastically panning Todd Haley.

Families will spat. Families will reconcile.

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Jason Worilds announced his retirement through his agent early Wednesday morning. — GETTY

BY DEJAN KOVACEVIC

“I don’t know. What do you think will happen?”

It was nearing midnight at Heinz Field on the fourth of January, and most of the Steelers were still peeling off the sweat and the sting of getting steamrolled out of the playoffs by the rival Ravens. Big men were brought to their knees. Steve McLendon wept. Willie Gay stared silently at the floor. James Harrison, Troy Polamalu and Ike Taylor buttoned each button ever so slowly, visibly aware each might be the last.

And Jason Worilds, as ever, worried.

As the media crowded around the fading elders, I took a detour to the stall marked No. 93, where its occupant sat on a stool and gazed at the equipment he’d removed much later than most. And I asked the man, given that he was about to become a free agent, what he thought management might do.

He gave the above answer, which bears repeating because it speaks so much about him.

“I don’t know. What do you think will happen?”

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