Notable Steelers player headlines NFL legends that played for a different franchise

Johnny Unitas is a Pittsburgh legend that finished his career in California

Some might even forget that the Steelers drafted Johnny Unitas in the ninth round of the 1955 NFL Draft. That is when the team was still the laughingstock of the league, and they continued that by not even giving Unitas a shot in training camp. They would cut him and watch him go to the Baltimore Colts and have a Hall of Fame career.

He was the top quarterback of his era at the time and the Colts were one of the best teams during his stint there. Unitas was with the Baltimore club for about 16 years before they decided to move in different directions. That marriage ended after a very successful run of three NFL Championships and a Super Bowl that stacked their history books.

Why trade a Hall of Fame quarterback who helped lead your team to many successful seasons? Well, injuries started to become a significant factor behind the reasoning for the Colts to move on. Age was another concern as Unitas seemed to be affected by that too. He would be traded to the San Diego Chargers in 1973 which was contractually complicated.

Unitas hesitated to even report to San Diego before he got a two-year contract from the club. He would only play one season for the Chargers. He would be the starter to begin the year but was quickly replaced by Dan Fouts after only four starts. He was an old player at that time who saw better days. It is odd to think about Unitas wearing any other uniform other than the Colts, but he did.