3 forgotten former Steelers players who are miraculously still in the NFL
By Tommy Jaggi
Former Steelers DT Steve McLendon
Here’s a name you might not have heard for a while. Steve McLendon was a former undrafted free agent who was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers all the way back in 2009. However, McLendon didn’t see his first NFL action until 2010, and he started just one game up until the 2013 season.
It was then that McLendon become a big part of Pittsburgh’s defense, and he played a sizable role for three straight years before signing with the New York Jets in 2016. Despite joining the Jets at the age of 30, McLendon played well enough to find a home each season.
Most recently, McLendon played for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Even at the age of 35 during the 2021 season, the seasoned veteran still carved out a role on the defensive line — earning 33 percent of defensive snaps.
McLendon earned some excellent PFF grades over the years and his best stretch of football came during the 2017 to 2019 seasons when he was already in his 30s. Now at the age of 36, the former Steelers defensive tackle sits in free agency. What a career it’s been though!