All signs point to the Pittsburgh Steelers entering the 2012-13 NFL season without wide receiver Hines Ward. Jason La Canfora reported on the NFL Network yesterday that the Steelers were going to move on from Ward.
Ward has clearly lost a step and was rarely on the field, even in four receiver sets. The move to go on without Ward would not only be because of his decline in play, but also a financial move. The Steelers are working hard to clear cap space.
No disrespect to Ward, who has done a lot for the franchise and is one of their best receivers of all-time, but he has become more of a cheerleader on the sidelines than a valuable player. However, he remains a strong leader and brings a great influence to the younger players, so there is some reason to keep him if the price is right.
If you listen to Ward, he is willing to do anything to stay in Pittsburgh and that includes restructuring the final one-year, $4 million deal on his deal. He wrote this on his Facebook page:
"I don’t normally like to respond to rumors, but as I’ve said all along, I want to finish my career with the Pittsburgh Steelers. And as I’ve already told the organization, I am willing to work with them to restructure my contract to make sure this happens."
Should the Steelers bring back Ward, so he can finish his career in Pittsburgh? Or should the team simply move on? After all, this is a business, and the Steelers need to worry about what will benefit them the most on the field.
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