3 forgotten former Steelers players who are miraculously still in the NFL

Former Steelers TE Jesse James

Jesse James isn’t quite as forgotten as the other two players on this list. Perhaps it’s because of his controversial non-catch (that was a catch) against the New England Patriots or the fact that he shares a name with an infamous outlaw.

Either way, there are some who forget that James is still in the league. As a former fifth-round pick in 2015, James was unspectacular, but he proved to be a solid value pick for the Steelers. When his rookie contract was up, the Detroit Lions forked up good money for his services only to terminate his contract two years into his four-year, $22.6 million deal.

James then landed on his feet with the Chicago Bears and was credited for starting 9 of the 14 games he played in, according to Pro Football Focus. James is currently a free agent, but he will be just 28 years old for the upcoming 2022 NFL season, and it’s possible that the 6’7” tight end still finds a home in the NFL.

These three former Steelers rarely made headlines over the years, but it’s interesting that they were still going strong after leaving the team. Had the Steelers known how successful Kelvin Beachum and Steve McLendon would be, perhaps they would have held onto them.