Now that the two-week stretch of the Pittsburgh Pirates actually being a good baseball club is long in the rearview mirror, focus has shifted to the crown jewel of sports teams in these parts (with apologies to the Pittsburgh Penguins).

The Pittsburgh Steelers.

There is a palpable sense of urgency when it comes to the Black and Gold these days.

Fans are sensing the window closing on this group — and fast.

Ben Roethlisberger seems intent on retiring sooner rather than later.

James Harrison is just a wee-bit younger than the forward pass and — don’t look now — Antonio Brown is pushing 30.

The rest of the roster is relatively young, but there is no answer when it comes to a replacement for Big Ben.

Not even close.

If he elects to call it quits after the season, the Steelers will be in full scramble-mode (no pun intended) for a new signal caller.

If the NFL has shown any one thing to be true over the past decade in this current pass-happy era, it is that no elite quarterback equals no championships.

My guess is Roethlisberger will play this year and next year and then be done.

Baring injury, of course.

And that’s a big variable in this equation. Roethlisberger is one major injury away from retirement.

So, every time he pump fakes five times before taking a crushing hit as he releases a pass, it could be his last play in the NFL.

Theoretically, that gives Pittsburgh two seasons to get to the Super Bowl and win unless the Steelers somehow uncover a clear heir apparent to Roethlisberger.

Don’t forget, Pittsburgh was incredibly fortunate in 2004 to land Roethlisberger.

It took a 6-10 season the year before, the Giants-Chargers drama with Eli Manning and Philip Rivers and quarterback-needy teams picking before the Steelers to pass on him for him to slip to him.

Franchise quarterbacks don’t often fall in teams’ laps.

There’s another potential pitfall for the Steelers that may end a legitimate Super Bowl run.

That pitfall’s name is Le’Veon Bell.

Bell, who is currently holding out for an insane amount of money, may mope and whine his way out of town after the season.

There is no way the Steelers are going to pay him as a No. 1 running back and a No. 2 receiver.

News flash for Bell: There’s no way any team is going to do that.

With that being said, Bell is a unique back in a league where running backs are virtually interchangeable.

Losing him would deal a major blow to any chance the Steelers have of winning another Lombardi Trophy.

So, that may leave one season before the window slams shut.

No pressure.

Mike Kilroy is a staff writer for the Butler Eagle.