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Should Troy Polamalu, James Harrison return to Pittsburgh Steelers?

By Brian Spaen

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After the Pittsburgh Steelers bowed out of the playoffs with a 30-17 loss to the Baltimore Ravens, questions surrounded two of the team’s star defensive players. Troy Polamalu and James Harrison aren’t sure if they’ll be back in a Steelers uniform next year. Another question is if it would be a good time for the Steelers to move on with the growth they’ve seen on defense this year.

Both Polamalu and Harrison acknowledged that this could be the end during the postgame press conference, but wouldn’t comment any further. Neither of them wanted to get into it after just losing in a playoff game. From ESPN:

"“Honestly, we just lost a game,” said Polamalu, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. “I don’t think I’m prepared to even think about that or talk about that at this time.”[Harrison said:] “We’ll see. I’m not going to answer a question [about the future] right now because I’m not in the right mind frame.”"

Polamalu and Harrison have crossed the height of their careers and are on the downswing. Both players have been playing 12 years in the NFL and the strong safety (Polamalu) is 33 while the outside linebacker (Harrison) is 36.

Production has fallen for the former first-round pick from USC, but it also didn’t help that Polamalu only played in 12 games. His worst two seasons were in 2009 and 2012 when he played in just five and seven games, respectively, due to multiple injuries. He missed the last two games of this season due to a knee injury before playing in the wild card game on Saturday night.

He forced just one turnover this season and had his second-lowest tackle total (58 in 2007) when playing in more than seven games in a year. It’s important to note that while his stats have faltered a little, there hasn’t been a dramatic dropoff. Polamalu isn’t the dynamic player he was in the past, and despite the struggles he had down the stretch, he may still have enough in the tank after a full offseason of rest.

However, Will Allen has had his own impact in the four total games he started in place of Polamalu. He isn’t someone that will have the same production Polamalu once had, but he’s a solid backup at safety that is ready to get a promotion.

Jan 3, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) high fives fans in the stands after the 2014 AFC Wild Card playoff football game against the Baltimore Ravens at Heinz Field. The Ravens won 30-17. Mandatory Credit: Jason Bridge-USA TODAY Sports

A bigger question may be surrounding Harrison. The linebacker retired, but then was brought back in September when Jarvis Jones had a wrist injury. Despite being older than Polamalu, he recorded 45 total tackles and an impressive 5.5 sacks in his 11 games.

With solid production this year, it sounds like Harrison making it back next season isn’t completely out of the question. He still has dreams of kissing the Lombardi Trophy for a third time. He wants to make that 100-yard interception return for a touchdown again like he had in Super Bowl XLIII against the Arizona Cardinals.

The million dollar question is if it’s smart to bring both players back. Just by reading what they said after losing, Polamalu feels like he’s primed for the next chapter in his life. Injuries have always been a constant and it may have ultimately taken a toll on him in recent seasons. With veteran experience in Allen that always has a positive impact when he has to start for Polamalu, it might be in the best interest for the Steelers to move on.

As for Harrison, the production he had in just 11 games is impressive. He also looked solid in his two games against the Baltimore Ravens. He tied a season-high of seven tackles in their home date in the regular season. If Harrison wants to come back, the Steelers might as well ride him until they can’t anymore.

What are your thoughts on the Steelers’ superstars and their potential return next season?

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