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The Steelers found their future starting quarterback Saturday and, four days later, welcomed their current starter back into the fold.

Tommy Maddox told coach Bill Cowher yesterday that he wants to remain with the Steelers and looked forward to keeping his job as their starting quarterback next season, even though they drafted Ben Roethlisberger on the first round Saturday.

In turn, the Steelers plan a bump in pay this year for Maddox, who is scheduled to make $750,000 in salary, a relatively paltry sum for a third-year starting quarterback in the NFL.

The emotions that built within Maddox for months and escalated over the weekend after the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger from Miami (Ohio) with the 11th overall pick, spilled out during a meeting with Cowher yesterday morning.

The meeting began at 8 a.m. in Cowher's office with the door closed and lasted about 45 minutes. It started out a little rough as Maddox expressed his views on his situation and the fact he felt he was led to believe he would receive a pay increase long ago. By the end, the coach and his quarterback parted on good terms. It was described as a "classy" get-together between the two.

Maddox then went downstairs at the Steelers' headquarters for a workout.

Dan Rooney later saw Maddox and said hello to him, but the two did not talk about the quarterback's contract. Rooney said a meeting that agent Vann McElroy announced was to take place Monday between him and Maddox was never planned.

McElroy, Maddox's agent in Texas, said Monday that the meeting was postponed because Maddox was too emotional about the situation. Maddox then returned to Pittsburgh from Dallas and scheduled his talk with Cowher for yesterday morning.

McElroy did not return several phone calls yesterday.

The meeting between Cowher and Maddox eased the uncertainty about the Steelers' quarterback situation. Maddox replaced Kordell Stewart as the starter four games into the 2002 season and has kept that job except for two games he missed with an injury. He had hoped to earn a boost in pay before 2003, but it never happened.

Veteran Charlie Batch re-signed as a free agent with them last year and is scheduled to make $250,000 more in base pay this season than Maddox.

After McElroy described Maddox as upset when the Steelers drafted Roethlisberger, Cowher seemed to be hedging his bets when he said on Sunday that he would keep his options open about who would start at quarterback in 2004. He also made sure he mentioned that he had two veterans, Maddox and Batch, and several times called Maddox the "incumbent starter," adding "I'm not saying things can't change."

Cowher declined to discuss his meeting with Maddox, who also could not be reached for comment.

The Steelers soon will begin negotiations to restructure the quarterback's contract, but they will not have him sign it until after June 1, when they make at least one roster move -- they will release linebacker Jason Gildon -- that will create salary-cap room.

They also need money to sign their rookies, most importantly Roethlisberger, who promises to nab the richest rookie contract in Steelers history. He should command a signing bonus between $7 million and $9 million with agent Leigh Steinberg negotiating the deal.

Maddox's decision not to force his way off the Steelers roster raises a question about what becomes of Batch, who noted Saturday that with four quarterbacks on the roster, one must go. Batch is scheduled to make a $1 million salary this season, and the Steelers must decide whether to keep two veteran quarterbacks along with their prized rookie or go with one veteran, Roethlisberger and second-year pro Brian St. Pierre.

"I can't tell you right now how that's going to unfold," Cowher said of his quarterback merry-go-round.