15 Players the Pittsburgh Steelers gave up on way too soon

Mike Vrabel left the Steelers and had a profound career elsewhere

Most see Mike Vrabel as a successful top coach in the NFL nowadays, but he also had a great playing career in the league too. He was drafted by the Steelers in 1997 as a linebacker, and as described earlier, there was a lot of talent in that room. Even as the 90s turned into the early 2000s, Vrabel was struggling to find playing time.

There were some talented linebackers in the city of Pittsburgh during Vrabel's stay. Those names included the likes of Joey Porter, Jason Gildon, Levon Kirkland, and Earl Holmes. All of those players presented some talents, and it would have been difficult for Vrabel to earn playing time with the Steelers and that is what caused for a divorce to be set in motion.

After four years of being primarily a backup with the team that drafted him, Vrabel would join the New England Patriots as a starter. He was an instant leader for a group that seemed to be missing some of that experience on their team. The divorce with the black and gold surely worked out in the favor of Vrabel as he won three Super Bowls during his time there.

You never know what a player would have been like if he played for another team, but the Steelers would have loved Vrabel's intensity on some teams. Gildon and Porter would become a solid duo that got the club into contention multiple times. Many will not remember Vrabel's days in Pittsburgh, but he could have been so much more if given a fair shot.