Pittsburgh Steelers: Heath Miller Retires After 11 Solid Seasons
The 2016 NFL offseason has already seen plenty of changes around the league. And now the Pittsburgh Steelers will be without one of the most reliable performers.
By the time the 2005 NFL season ended at Detroit’s Ford Field, it had proven to be a memorable year for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Under head coach Bill Cowher, the Black and Gold became the first No. 6 seed to win the Super Bowl, winning (at the time) an unprecedented three road playoff games and then the Super Bowl in the same postseason.
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While second-year quarterback Ben Roethlisberger, veteran running back Jerome Bettis, exuberant wide receiver Hines Ward (Super Bowl XL MVP) and boisterous outside linebacker Joey Porter as Pittsburgh’s main headliners those days, that was also the rookie season for tight end Heath Miller, the 30th overall pick in the ’05 draft.
What a way to begin your career, one that would last 11 seasons in the Steel City and result in three Super Bowl appearances (XL, XLIII and XLV) and a total of seven playoff runs over that span.
Early in his career, Miller was more known for his blocking as well as his craftiness near the red zone. In his debut campaign, he started 15 out of 16 games and caught just 39 passes for 459 yards. But six of those receptions went for scores.
Over the course of his first three seasons, Miller totaled 120 catches for 1,418 yards and 18 scores, catching at least five touchdown passes in each of those campaigns. In fact, he never reached the 50-catch mark in each of his first five years in the league although just over half (23) of his 45 career touchdown grabs came over that stretch.
In each of the last six seasons, the two-time Pro Bowler has caught 50-plus passes and in four of the years he reached the 60-catch mark. As the Steelers emphasized the passing game even more, Miller was up to the challenge and over the last few years he’s proved to be a very reliable part of an aerial attack that has included the likes of wide receivers Antonio Brown, Markus Wheaton and Martavis Bryant.
Miller steps away from the game with 592 career receptions (good for 6,569 yards and 45 scores), second in Pittsburgh Steelers history to Hines Ward (1,000) and just ahead of the likes of Pro Football Hall of Famer John Stallworth (537) and current All-Pro Antonio Brown (526). He’s easily the most prolific tight end in franchise history as Bennie Cunningham (202) ranks second on the team in career receptions by a tight end.
Courtesy of Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, both Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin (Miller’s head coach since 2007) and general manager Kevin Colbert had glowing praise for the reliable veteran, who was voted the team’s Most Valuable Player following the 2012 season.
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“It’s been an honor and a pleasure to coach Heath, to watch him grow and evolve and perform,” stated Tomlin courtesy of a team statement. “There are great benefits and blessings that come with being some place as long as I have been here. It also creates unique relationships and feelings and experiences that make events such as his retirement difficult.
“It would be selfish of me to view it in any other way other than a great deal of admiration and appreciation for having an opportunity to work with Heath for nine of the 11 years he has done it,” added Tomlin.
“Heath Miller was as great a combination of character and football player as I have ever been around,” added Colbert. “Heath helped us win many games, including two Super Bowl Championships, while also being an important part of our community. We want to thank Heath for his contributions and wish he, Katie and the kids nothing but the best.”
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Over these last two offseasons, the Steelers have now seen mainstays such as Miller, strong safety Troy Polamalu and cornerback Ike Taylor retire. All were pivotal parts of the team’s Super Bowl runs in 2005, 2008 and 2010. Times are always changing and rest assured, Heinz Field will be a lot quieter this season minus the chants of “Heeeaath,” one of the Steelers’ steadiest players over the past decade or so.