When speaking with most fans of the Pittsburgh Steelers, many will mention Troy Polamalu as one of the most beloved players in franchise history. Despite his Hall of Fame career with the Black and Gold, he has remained remarkably humble. In a recent appearance on The Larry and Big Man Show, former Steelers general manager Kevin Colbert shared some surprising admissions about the star safety.
"Troy Polamalu almost wasn't a Steeler."
Steelers Nation can breathe a collective sigh of relief knowing that history did not unfold the way Colbert described during the podcast. In a different scenario, the team would not have traded up to draft Polamalu and instead would have signed a free agent to address the void at safety.
Fortunately for Pittsburgh, events played out in their favor, allowing the Steelers to land Polamalu.
Colbert’s revelation was shocking, as he revealed that the Steelers had already agreed to a contract with free agent Dexter Jackson, though the deal was never finalized. For reasons that remain unclear, Jackson backed out of the agreement, which would have eliminated Pittsburgh’s need to address the safety position in the draft. Instead, Jackson withdrew, prompting the Steelers to target Polamalu.
Ex-Pittsburgh Steelers' GM Kevin Colbert admits he almost never drafted Troy Polamalu
For those unfamiliar with Jackson, he was coming off a Super Bowl victory with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, a game in which he earned Super Bowl MVP honors.
He entered free agency with significant momentum, making him an attractive target for Pittsburgh. While Jackson posted solid numbers during his time in Tampa, he ultimately signed with the Arizona Cardinals. His stint in Arizona featured some of the best statistical production of his career, though it proved to be short‑lived.
"Coach Cowher and I didn't go to Troy's pro day because we kind of knew we were going to have an agreement with a free agent." Colbert continued, "A safety probably wasn't going to be in the works."
Colbert should be thankful that Jackson ultimately backed out of the deal, not because Jackson was a poor player, but because of the elite talent Troy became. Once Jackson informed Pittsburgh that he was signing elsewhere, the plan to pursue Polamalu began to take shape.
In hindsight, this situation proved to be a blessing in disguise for the Steelers.
They ultimately landed a far superior player, one who became the face of some of the league’s most punishing defenses for more than a decade. With Polamalu leading the way, Pittsburgh won two Super Bowls and appeared in another, anchoring several elite defensive units. Jackson, on the other hand, won just one Super Bowl and was never selected to a Pro Bowl.
Comparing the two players is unfair to Jackson. Polamalu was selected to eight Pro Bowls, earned four First‑Team All‑Pro honors, and was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Jackson enjoyed a solid NFL career, but in hindsight, the Steelers benefited greatly from his decision not to accept Colbert’s contract. The fans can't help but smile at how this situation turned out.
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