Pittsburgh Steelers: Top 10 linebackers in franchise history

The Pittsburgh Steelers have done a great job developing wide receivers recently, but historically the team has loved the linebacker position.

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had some of the greatest linebackers of all-time wear the black and gold. With the team taking Michigan’s Devin Bush 10th overall in the 2019 NFL Draft and hoping that he’s the next great at the position, I thought it would be an opportune time to look back the plethora of Pro Bowlers and All-Pros that have played linebacker for the Steelers.

Before we get into the 10 best linebackers in the history of this franchise, however, it felt right to look back at some notable omissions from the top-10 list.

These players may not have made the cut, but still certainly left their mark on Steelers history.

Notable Omissions

I still remember thinking as a kid that LaMarr Woodley (2007-13) was going to be a Hall of Fame level player. Obviously, time changes perspectives quite a bit. Woodley exploded onto the scene in 2008, his sophomore season in Pittsburgh. He had a good regular season and then a great postseason, posting two sacks on each of the three playoff games during the Steelers Super Bowl run.

Woodley went on to be a Second Team All-Pro in 2009, posting 13.5 sacks. He added another 10 in 2010 and nine more in 2011, but injuries and conditioning brought an end to his prime not too long after that. In the four-year stretch from 2008-11, Woodley logged 44 sacks.

It’s also hard to overlook Larry Foote (2002-08, 2010-13) completely. Foote was selected by Pittsburgh in the fourth round back in 2002. While he never made a Pro Bowl, he did spend 11 of his 13 seasons with the Steelers. During those years, Foote fought his way into the starting lineup and recorded 620 combined tackles, 21 sacks, three interceptions, nine forced fumbles and seven fumble recoveries. He was a part of both the 2005 and 2008 Super Bowl teams.

Mike Merriweather (1982-88) played for Pittsburgh during the six best years of his career. He broke out in his third season in the league, recording 15 sacks in 1984. Merriweather went to the first of three consecutive Pro Bowls that year. Unfortunately, he didn’t play in 1988 because of a contract dispute. Yes, players were holding out back in the 1980s. In 1989, Merriweather played for the Minnesota Vikings, but he never regained his Steelers form.

The Steelers had all kinds of good linebackers in the 1990s. You’ll see some more of them later, but Chad Brown (1993-96), David Little (1981-92), and Hardy Nickerson (1987-92) are going down as honorable mentions.

Brown was selected as a First Team All-Pro twice, but only one of those instances came with the Steelers. Brown spent the most productive part of his career in Seattle. He was a starter in 1995 when the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys in the Super Bowl. Brown finished his career with 31 sacks in a Steelers uniform.

Unlike Brown, Little was a career Steeler. He spent his entire 12-year career in Pittsburgh. Unfortunately, because he was an inside linebacker and tackling stats weren’t officially recorded until 2001, it’s hard to illustrate Little’s impact in words.

He made the Pro Bowl in 1990 at the age of 31 though. It was his only Pro Bowl selection. That year, Little’s name was in the conversation for an All-Pro selection, even though the Associated Press ultimately did not select him.

Nickerson, like Brown, spent his best days with another team. After spending the first six years of his career in the Steel City, Nickerson joined the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He went on to make five Pro Bowls and two First All-Pro Teams. The Pro Football Hall of Fame named Nickerson to the Second Team All-1990s Team. This is definitely a player Steelers fans wish they kept.

While his career was short, Ryan Shazier (2014-present) must be mentioned. The middle linebacker was a huge hit for the Steelers in the 2014 draft. He allowed the team to move away from the aging former Pro Bowler, Lawrence Timmons (2007-2016), and it looked like a new era in Pittsburgh. Shazier had game-changing speed and good instincts. He looked like a keystone defensive player the team could build around for a decade.

We all know what happened though. Shazier was nearly paralyzed by an injury to his spine that occurred when he was making a tackle. In the end, he made two Pro Bowls in his four-year career. He seemed like a lock to be a First Team All-Pro in 2017, his final season, but the injury occurred and Shazier only played in 12 games that year. Ever the warrior and inspiration though, Shazier recovered from his injury and subsequent surgery in time to dance with his wife at their wedding.

Obviously, T.J. Watt (2017-present) looks like he’s headed in the right direction, but it’s still far too soon to even consider him for an honorable mention spot. Pittsburgh has seen great linebackers like Woodley fade quickly because of injuries.

There’s also the case of Jason Worlds (2010-14), who retired after just his age-26 season. Basically, a lot could happen to Watt over the next couple of years. Hopefully, he’ll end up on this list one day. For now, he’s just a footnote at the bottom of the honorable mention section.