The Pittsburgh Steelers have a decision on their hands. Restricted free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders has signed an offer sheet with the New England Patriots. Now the team must decide whether or not to match the team's offer and retain the receiver they were counting on to have a big 2013. If quarterback Ben Roethlisberger has it his way, the team will keep Sanders in Pittsburgh.

According to CBSSports.com, Roethlisberger has been lobbying to coaches for the team to hold on to Sanders. While the quarterback is not the general manager and does not hold the final say in team moves, he does carry a lot of weight and his support could sway the Steelers decision. This is not the first time Roethlisberger has voiced his support for his wide receiving core. He is a fan of the team keeping tall and talented receivers on the team.

The New England Patriots are trying to win Sanders over. They signed him to a one-year, $2.5 million offer sheet. The Steelers have five days to match the offer. The one-year deal from the Patriots is expected to yield to a long-term deal with the team. They were depleted of receivers in the offseason, losing all of their marquee players. Sanders could offer a lot to the team.  

Sanders was expected to take over as one of the No.1 guys after the departure of Mike Wallace. They lost numerous faces on offense in the offseason and could use the help of the three-year veteran. Sanders is coming off his best season yet. He caught 44 passes for 626 yards and one touchdown. He started seven games for the team, while appearing in all 16.  

If Pittsburgh decides to retain Sanders, it will cost them more than they had originally intended on spending. Their offer to Sanders was a $1.3 million deal. They will have to fork out more money. The cash-strapped team is 50-50 on the re-signing, so the support of Roethlisberger could sway the team on way or another.