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Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu could be benched

By Charles Rahrig V

Oct 27, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers strong safety Troy Polamalu (43) on the sideline during the fourth quarter against the Oakland Raiders at O.co Coliseum. The Oakland Raiders defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 21-18. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports /
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Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu might start on the bench Saturday night against the Baltimore Ravens.

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Aging Pittsburgh Steelers’ safety Troy Polamalu has missed the last two weeks with a knee injury. He may or may not be ready for this week’s wild card round matchup as Pittsburgh plays host Saturday night to their nemesis the Baltimore Ravens. Even if Polamalu is cleared to return to action for the game, there is no guarantee at all that he will be in the starting lineup.

The Steelers could opt for fresher legs rather than inserting an older Polamalu who may not be 100 percent back into the lineup. Steelers’ head coach Mike Tomlin understands that changing lineups especially going into a playoff game isn’t exactly cut and dry.

“The decisions are complex and they’re not going to boil down to just simply medical clearance,” Tomlin said to reporters, “We’re too far on the journey for that to be the case. There are complexities to these things and we’re going to deal with them on a case-by-case basis at the appropriate time. The number one element of discussion is the overall health of the individual.”

The Steelers’ revamped younger secondary minus Polamalu had a strong game Sunday against the Cincinnati Bengals and are beginning to develop chemistry together. Throwing the older Polamalu back in could disrupt what is being built and Tomlin is smart enough to know that.

If the Steelers advance past Saturday, there is a good chance they will have to face the likes of Tom Brady and Peyton Manning along the way and having a strong secondary is necessary to having a chance against the Patriots and Broncos respectively. Having fresh legs vs. old legs against two of the greatest quarterbacks to ever throw a football should be an easy decision for a Super Bowl winning coach like Tomlin to make.

The Steelers have had many standout defensive players over the last decade that have brought the team two Super Bowl’s and three trips to the big game. Polamalu was the key anchor on the back-end for those teams, including winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2010, and is one of the most beloved Steelers to ever wear the black and gold.

This could be the final season of the 33-year-old’s illustrious 12-year career. Depending on how things go Saturday against the Ravens, it could also be the final game for the surefire future hall of fame safety.

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