Ben Roethlisberger signed an eight-year extension that is worth $102 million yesterday with the Pittsburgh Steelers that makes him one of the NFL's highest-paid players.

The deal includes more than $36 million guaranteed, and keeps Roethlisberger with the Steelers through 2015.

"Ben has been an outstanding leader on the field for the Steelers since his rookie year and we are very happy to know that he will be our quarterback for many years to come," Steelers president Art Rooney II said in a statement.

Roethlisberger turned 26 on Sunday and said the contract was a great birthday present.

"This is about being a Pittsburgh Steeler for as long as I can be. I love Pittsburgh," Roethlisberger said. He said he "wanted to be like the Dan Marinos, like the John Elways, guys who played with one team their whole career."

The Pro Bowl quarterback led the Steelers to a Super Bowl victory two years ago and has been the starter in all four of the seasons he's been with the team.

Roethlisberger threw 32 touchdown passes with only 11 interceptions in leading the Steelers to the playoffs this season, bouncing back from an injury-marred season.

He was hurt in a serious motorcycle accident in the 2006 offseason, then underwent an appendectomy. Although he started 15 games, his play was subpar. He threw 23 interceptions, three more than he had thrown in his first two seasons, and Pittsburgh failed to make the playoffs.

This season, he led the Steelers to a 10-6 record and the AFC North title before they were eliminated by Jacksonville in the playoffs.

PATRIOTS

MOSS STAYING PUT

Randy Moss is staying in New England.

The defending AFC champions re-signed the record-breaking receiver yesterday to a three-year deal worth $27 million, his agent said. The signing was confirmed by the team shortly after Moss posted a message to fans on his Web site.

"I want to take time out to thank all of the fans for their support and for wishing me well in my return to New England," realrandymoss.com quotes him as saying. "I'm ready to get back. We have some unfinished business to take care of."

Moss' agent, Tim DiPiero, said the deal included guarantees of $15 million, including a $12 million signing bonus to the receiver who set an NFL record with 23 touchdown catches and helped the Patriots reach the Super Bowl in his first season with the team.

"Randy was serious about wanting to stay," DiPiero wrote in an e-mail. "Because of Randy's record-breaking year, the interest in him was very high. Randy took less than he could have to rejoin his teammates."

TITANS

CRUMPLER SIGNS DEAL

Tennessee agreed to a two-year contract with former Atlanta tight end Alge Crumpler, one of many veterans released last month by the Falcons.

Crumpler, a four-time Pro Bowl selection, is expected to help an offense that had only nine touchdown passes in 2007. He will get to play with a quarterback in Vince Young whose mobility is similar to Michael Vick.

"I really am excited about the opportunity to work with Vince Young. I've admired him as a peer from across the league, and I was itching to get a chance to play with him," Crumpler said.

JETS

PACE, WOODY SIGN

New York signed linebacker Calvin Pace and offensive lineman Damien Woody.

Pace, Arizona's first-round pick in 2003, signed a six-year, $42 million deal that included a $20 million signing bonus. The deal for Woody, also a former first-rounder of New England, is reportedly for five years, $25 million.

Pace, 27, underperformed for most of his five seasons with the Cardinals, but is coming off his best year. He had 98 tackles, 6 1/2 sacks and an interception after moving from defensive end to linebacker full time.

Woody, 30, started his career with New England in 1999 and spent the past four seasons with Detroit.

He's a versatile lineman who has played center, guard and tackle in his career. With the Jets, Woody could replace veteran Anthony Clement as the starter at right tackle.

BUCCANEERS

GRIESE DEALT FOR PICK

Tampa Bay traded an undisclosed 2009 draft pick to the Chicago Bears for quarterback Brian Griese, who played for Tampa Bay in 2004 and 2005.

Griese passed for 3,768 yards, 27 touchdowns and 19 interceptions for Tampa Bay. His 97.5 quarterback rating in 2004 is the best single-season mark in Bucs' history.

Griese played for Chicago the past two seasons, passing for 2,023 yards, 11 touchdowns and 14 interceptions as a backup.

FALCONS

RB DUNN RELEASED

Warrick Dunn was released by Atlanta a day after the club signed free agent running back Michael Turner.

Last season, Dunn became the 22nd back in NFL history to rush for 10,000 yards. But his days in Atlanta were numbered after the Falcons doled out a six-year contract to Turner, reportedly for $34.5 million with about $15 million guaranteed.

ELSEWHERE

Bengals: Defensive end Antwan Odom signed a five-year deal worth $29.5 million with Cincinnati. Odom was coming off a career-best season with 16 starts and eight sacks with the Tennessee Titans, who drafted him in 2004. But the Titans took a risk in letting Odom test the free agent market, and they lost him to Cincinnati, which gave the four-year veteran $11.5 million in guaranteed money in the package.

49ers: San Francisco signed running back DeShaun Foster, quarterback J.T. O'Sullivan and linebacker Dontarrious Thomas, adding free-agent depth at three key positions.

Giants: Veteran safety Sammy Knight signed a three-year contract with the Super Bowl champion New York Giants, replacing the departed Gibril Wilson. Financial terms were not immediately available, but it was believed Knight will get between $5 million and $6 million.

Broncos: Denver signed receiver Keary Colbert and linebacker Niko Koutouvides to deals. The team also re-signed defensive end Ebenezer Ekuban, who missed all of last season after rupturing his right Achilles' tendon in a preseason game against Dallas. Also, defensive tackle Marcus Thomas was arrested after police said they found cocaine and a handgun in a pickup truck during a traffic stop in Orange Park, Calif. He was charged with possession of a controlled substance and released from jail Sunday after posting a $2,500 bond.

Panthers: Carolina came to terms with guard Keydrick Vincent on a two-year, $2 million deal. The 6-foot-5, 325-pound Vincent started 16 games in Pittsburgh in 2004 and 12 games with Baltimore in 2006.

Texans: Free agent linebacker Kevin Bentley signed with Houston. The six-year NFL veteran played 43 games, including five starts, the past three seasons with Seattle. He had 27 tackles in two starts last season.

Dolphins: Safety Yeremiah Bell re-signed with Miami after missing the final 15 games last year because of a ruptured Achilles' tendon. Bell signed a one-year deal.

Saints: David Patten, who was among the Saints' leading wide receivers last season, agreed to a new two-year contract with New Orleans. Patten's 792 receiving yards were second on the team last season while his 54 receptions ranked third. Patten also had three touchdowns.

Rams: St. Louis signed free agent guard Jacob Bell to a six-year contract. The 6-foot-4, 295-pound Bell played for the Titans the past four seasons after being a fourth-round draft pick of the Titans in 2004. He started all 16 games at left guard last season.