NFL Rumors: Steelers haven’t ruled out bringing James Harrison back
By Jack Crosby
As the NFL season draws closer to beginning, there are still some holes some teams need to fill, and that includes the Pittsburgh Steelers. One place they’re hurting in depth is at the outside linebacker position, which has stirred up a lot of talk that they could look into bringing back James Harrison.
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According to Steelers ESPN writer Scott Brown, the team more than likely hasn’t ruled out that possibility.
"James Harrison’s strength has never been an issue with the Steelers, but cornerback Ike Taylor has said several times he has never seen the five-time Pro Bowler in better shape. Harrison clearly is intent on still playing and he’s made no secret of his desire to return to the Steelers. Given the Steelers’ lack of proven depth at outside linebacker I’d be surprised if they have ruled out Harrison as a possibility, though one thing working against him is he doesn’t play special teams at this point in his career. If something happens with Harrison it will be right before the start of training camp or during camp. Right now I think the Steelers want to get their younger players at outside linebacker as many repetitions as possible and then assess where they are at the position following offseason practices."
Harrison spent 10 successful years with the Steelers from 2002-12, helping the team win two Super Bowl championships in that span. Following the 2012 season, the two parties split and Harrison landed with the rival Cincinnati Bengals for last year.
Time will tell whether or not these two get back together for one final run, but with the loyalty the Pittsburgh organization has shown to its own in the past, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Harrison in black and yellow this season.