PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger’s public flirtation with retirement seems to have an underlying theme attached: The window won’t be open forever, so win now.

But while the Pittsburgh Steelers shouldn’t take Roethlisberger’s remaining years for granted, it’s possible the abrupt ending to the 2016 season will spark the quarterback as he approaches his mid-30s.

Leave it up to one of Big Ben’s favorite players, Tom Brady, to set the blueprint.

Brady will turn 40 in August, but his play has not diminished in the slightest. During the 25-point comeback in Super Bowl LI, Brady was delivering difficult fourth-quarter throws with conviction and velocity. Squeezing the ball into tight windows was no problem. Maybe the steep decline is inevitable in the next year or two, but Brady has done a masterful job prolonging the fall thanks to intense training regimens and even more intense dietary choices (no nightshade vegetables!).

Expecting any quarterback to duplicate Brady’s results at age 39 seems far-fetched.

But Roethlisberger, 34, can carve out his own late-career plan, which he appeared to be doing last offseason by shedding around 10 pounds with a cardio-heavy routine. The Steelers still believe Roethlisberger has two to three more prime years left.

Central to Roethlisberger’s long-term outlook is the potential cumulative effect from injuries. Roethlisberger has played through ailments to virtually every body part. But there’s hope in this area: an elite offensive line. The stout front five kept Roethlisberger off the ground on all but 17 of his dropbacks in the regular season.

Despite Roethlisberger’s 456 career sacks, the Steelers’ front office has prioritized protection for times like this: to ensure the quarterback is comfortable and effective for the next few years.

The humbling AFC title-game loss punctuated the Steelers’ need to improve against top-ranked passers and for better red zone production from the offense. Roethlisberger’s average of around one touchdown and one interception per road game dating back to mid-2015 falls on everyone. The execution near the goal line has been erratic.

But getting a full arsenal of passing weapons will help. Add Martavis Bryant from suspension, draft a playmaker high, hope Ladarius Green recovers and the throws will be there.

The Steelers have begun negotiating a contract with wide receiver Antonio Brown that would keep him in Pittsburgh for the rest of his career.

“We want Antonio to retire a Steeler for life,” Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert told reporters on Thursday.

Colbert said getting a contract done with Brown was a “priority” in a year when running back Le’Veon Bell is likely to receive the franchise tag.

Brown posted a picture of himself with his agent Drew Rosenhaus in Pittsburgh on his Snapchat account earlier in the week, a sign Rosenhaus was in the area to talk about a new contract.

The Steelers appear to be making good on their promise to rework Brown’s contract In the offseason. They restructured his contract in August, advancing $4 million of his 2017 salary into his base salary for 2016.

Brown, 28, is considered one of the best receivers in the league and has been a key piece of the Steelers offense for the past several seasons. He has one year left on a five-year, $42 million contract he signed in 2012.

A 2010 sixth-round pick out of Central Michigan, Brown has been to five Pro Bowls and has earned three first-team All-Pro nods in his seven seasons. He led the league with 1,698 receiving yards in 2014.

He is the first player in Steelers history to finish with 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns in three straight seasons.

Brown drew the ire of Steelers coach Mike Tomlin for posting a Facebook Live video of Tomlin’s postgame speech after a win against the Chiefs in the divisional round of the playoffs, but the incident appears to have been put to rest as the team moves into the offseason.

Numbers don’t lie: Stats support Bayern brilliance, awful Arsenal

Numbers don’t lie: Stats support Bayern brilliance, awful Arsenal

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Kansas City Chiefs have ended whatever suspense there might have been about the identity of their starting quarterback in 2017. General manager John Dorsey recently said that Alex Smith “absolutely” would be the starter when the Chiefs begin play next season.

“We’ve said all along he’s the starter,” Dorsey said. “I don’t know what more you want to say. We have a playoff team. He’s led this franchise to three playoff seasons out of four, which is pretty good in my eyes.”

So forget about the Chiefs pursuing Tony Romo, which seemed a long shot to begin with because of his massive contract. It also would rule out Nick Foles, last season’s backup. The NFL Network reported the Chiefs would decline to pick up the option on the final season of Foles’ contract, which is no surprise given their public stance on Smith.