PITTSBURGH — Ben Roethlisberger has cited health concerns and family as potential reasons to leave prime years on the field and retire sooner rather than later.

Then, when addressing the media Wednesday, Roethlisberger offered a counterargument of sorts with this sneaky-significant quote:

“If those guys in the front play as well as they’ve been playing, getting sacked 17 times in a year, that might keep me around a little longer,” Roethlisberger said about his offensive line.

The Steelers’ line is a catalyst for a late-30s Roethlisberger push beyond obvious, “Football 101” reasons. Roethlisberger is basically a sixth lineman.

Every day, he’s with Alejandro Villanueva, Ramon Foster, Maurkice Pouncey, David DeCastro and Marcus Gilbert. When the team finishes walk-throughs at St. Vincent College, those six are coming up the hill together.

Roethlisberger had one Steeler at his summer camp: Pouncey.

By saying this, Roethlisberger is informally placing his career in lockstep with the current nucleus up front. And all five of those linemen are set to play at least two more years together. All of the starting linemen, save for Foster, are under contract until at least 2019, according to ESPN’s Roster Management System. Foster becomes a free agent after the 2018 season.

The Steelers spent high draft picks on Pouncey, DeCastro and Gilbert, then developed undrafted players Foster and Villanueva into productive starters. Roethlisberger calls the line “probably the most important part of this team,” and the money reflects that. The starting five comprises $36.1 million of the team’s 2017 salary cap. And the production lies in the franchise-record-setting yardage pace set by Ben Roethlisberger, Antonio Brown and Le’Veon Bell in recent years.

Neymar’s mega-money switch to Paris Saint-Germain moved a step closer to completion Wednesday after Barcelona confirmed the Brazilian’s intention to leave.

While Neymar has received “temporary” permission to skip training sessions, Barcelona reminded the 25-year-old’s camp that his €222-million release clause would have to be paid in full.

“The player, Neymar Jr, accompanied by his father and agent, has informed FC Barcelona this morning of his decision to leave the club in a meeting held at the club’s offices,” read a statement on Barcelona’s website.

“Faced with this position, the club has informed them they refer to the buy-out clause of his existing contract which as of 1 July totals €222 million, which will have to be deposited in its entirety.”

Barcelona also clarified it hasn’t yet paid Neymar his reported €26-million loyalty bonus, instead placing the payment in the hands of a notary “until the case is resolved.”

The Blaugrana agreed to reward Neymar and his father, Neymar Sr., with a bonus when the player extended his contract last year until June 2021. The deal also increased Neymar’s release clause from €200 million to its current amount.

(Photo courtesy: Action Images)

Backed by Qatari Sports Investment, an arm of the Qatari government, PSG is reportedly willing to pay the colossal fee.

If it does go ahead with the transfer, La Liga president Javier Tebas vowed to file a complaint with UEFA over a potential breach in Financial Fair Play regulations.

Les Parisiens have once before fallen afoul of UEFA’s protocol, meaning another transgression could result in a more serious ban from the Champions League.

Rumours of PSG’s interest in Neymar followed Barcelona throughout its pre-season tour of the United States, despite club president Josep Maria Bartomeu’s insistence that the Sao Paulo native would not leave.

Club teammates have also urged Neymar to remain with the team, with Gerard Pique among the most vocal.

Pique appeared to assuage the fears of Barcelona supporters when he posted on Twitter and Instagram that Neymar would “stay” with the club, although the Spanish international later described the message as a “personal opinion.”

Along with escaping the cascading shadow of one Lionel Messi, Neymar reportedly stands to make €30 million per season in the French capital. He would become the centre of a Brazilian revolution at the Parc des Princes, where international teammates Dani Alves, Thiago Silva, Marquinhos, and Lucas Moura also showcase their talent.

Should everything go smoothly, the move for Neymar would far eclipse Paul Pogba’s €105-million switch to Manchester United.

Reliable RMC Sport reporter Mohamed Bouhafsi and his colleagues said Neymar is expected to arrive in Paris on Thursday and that PSG wants to consummate the world-record deal prior to the club’s Ligue 1 opener against Amiens on Saturday.

During his four years at the Camp Nou, Neymar formed a fearsome attacking trident with Luis Suarez and Messi, collectively surpassing 100 goals in each season together.