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5 Veterans Who May Not Return for the Pittsburgh Steelers

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5 Veterans Who May Not Return for the Pittsburgh Steelers

Brett Keisel
Andrew Weber-USA TODAY Sports

After a wildly inconsistent season, the Pittsburgh Steelers are once again gearing up for a playoff run. The end result was a division championship, but it didn’t come without some burning questions concerning next year’s roster, especially on defense. Here are five Steeler veterans who might not come back to the Burgh.

5. Jason Worilds

Jason Worilds
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

5. Jason Worilds

Jason Worilds
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The 26-year-old outside linebacker should be entering his prime. Traditionally, it was at this age that Steelers pass rushers would step up and prove their worth in LeBeau’s system, en route to a long-term deal. Many fans hoped Worilds would do just that in a contract year, but he has done little to reward that faith. Pittsburgh already boasts a wealth of potential at the position anyway, making Worilds an almost certain cap casualty come 2015.

4. Matt Spaeth

Matt Spaeth
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

4. Matt Spaeth

Matt Spaeth
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

In a league growing increasingly populated with freakish super athletes at tight end, Spaeth is still an old school guy. A mediocre receiver, but an outstanding run blocker, Spaeth has been instrumental in revitalizing Pittsburgh’s ground game this year. However, with Heath Miller retaining the starting role for the foreseeable future, and Spaeth crossing the 30-year-old threshold, he might find himself forced out by an early draft pick.

3. James Harrison

James Harrison
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

3. James Harrison

James Harrison
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The man they call “Silverback” is the first of the Steelers’ trio of defensive stalwarts likely to hang up the cleats at season’s end. An obvious choice for this list, Harrison was already enjoying his retirement before the Steelers called upon his services mid-season. Harrison hasn’t just contributed this year -- he has vastly exceeded expectations. He is clearly burning whatever gas he has left in the tank for one last shot at glory.

2. Brett Keisel

Brett Keisel
Don McPeak-USA Today Sports

2. Brett Keisel

Brett Keisel
Don McPeak-USA Today Sports

Like Harrison, Keisel was another ageing veteran brought back with the expectation of playing a few snaps per game. Those oldies hate that mentality, so, naturally, Keisel was the team’s top performer along the defensive line for weeks at a time. The mountain man can return to his tractors and fly fishing in the offseason, knowing that Cam Heyward will do a fine job of taking up his mantle as the unit’s emotional leader.

1. Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

1. Troy Polamalu

Troy Polamalu
Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

As is so often the case in the NFL, the career of the one of the game’s greats will end with a whimper, not a bang. Polamalu has struggled with nagging injuries all year, and when he has been on the field, he has looked nothing like the game-changing safety of years past. When he finally does retire, he will rightly challenge Jack Lambert and Mean Joe Greene for the title of “all-time greatest Steeler.” For now, though, Pittsburgh must move on.

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