7 oldest NFL players to ever wear a Pittsburgh Steelers uniform

3. Steelers OLB James Harrison

Age 39 years,7.9 months

James Harrison didn’t leave the Steelers on particularly good terms, but that isn’t going to take away from the spectacular career he had in Pittsburgh. Typically, players that last this long in the NFL are quarterbacks, kickers, punters. You don’t see many pass rushers who play to they are nearly 40 years old.

Harrison was a different type of animal, however. He never won with speed or elite athletic traits. Rather, he was a gym rat that worked as hard as anyone on the field. His pound-for-pound power on the field was unmatched in football, and he had remarkable instincts.

Part of the reason why the former Defensive Player of the Year was able to play until age 39 was because his career got a very late start. Harrison didn’t play his first NFL game until 24 years old and he only started 8 games by the age of 29.

The two-time All-Pro and five-time Pro Bowl outside linebacker left the Steelers in 2013 for the Cincinnati Bengals only to return and play three-and-a-half more seasons in Pittsburgh. In 2017, Harrison forced his way out the door late in the season and played one game for the New England Patriots before the conclusion of his NFL career.