The Steelers have a lot of great players in their history, but who could come out of retirement and contribute now?
The Steelers have a proud history and it includes many great players including Mean Joe Green, Jack Lambert, Terry Bradshaw, and Troy Polamalu. This doesn’t mean that they could all play for the Steelers today. Some of these legends have tragically passed away, while others are too old to realistically make a return to the game.
Pittsburgh is one of the most storied franchises in not just football history, but in sports history. The Steelers six Super Bowls will never be forgotten.
Whenever your friends at the bar tease you for being a Steelers fan, remind them of Mean Joe Greene and the ’70s Steelers. Remind them of greats like Franco Harris and the toughness of Rocky Bleier. Remind them of the 2000s defenses that included James Harrison and Troy Polamalu.
It is fun to think about who could contribute now. Players are bigger, stronger, and faster than ever. They have great nutrition, modern coaching, and endless film they can watch.
The players now have time to focus on the game. Steelers of years past had second jobs and played mostly for the love of the game. Now its a high paying job for most players.
There is one sad reality in Steelers history and it has to do with the business of the game. The Steelers have had to part ways with players like Troy Polamalu and Hines Ward before they wanted to walk away – largely for salary cap purposes. But those players could have played more and so could some retired Steelers.
Let’s take a look at five players who could play today: