Pittsburgh Steelers reportedly tell James Harrison they don’t want him
By Matt Shetler
Since the Pittsburgh Steelers first released linebacker James Harrison before free agency began, some wondered if the door would still be open for Harrison to return at a discounted rate.
That door has apparently slammed shut.
December 23, 2012; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker James Harrison (92) on the field against the Cincinnati Bengals during the fourth quarter at Heinz Field. The Cincinnati Bengals won 13-10. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
The Steelers moved on from Harrison as soon as they let him go and it made very little sense to bring the five-time Pro Bowl linebacker back. Surprisingly though, there has been no market for Harrison’s services, despite that his agent mentioned the fact that six teams were interested.
According to the Post Gazette’s Ed Bouchette, the Steelers have informed Harrison that they no longer are interested in him playing for them in 2013, according to a source.
Harrison visited the Baltimore Ravens over the weekend, but left without a deal as the Ravens signed Elvis Dumervil instead. Other than that, Harrison has no offers and no planned visits, however his agent Bill Parise said over the weekend that Harrison was open to returning to Pittsburgh and was awaiting their call.
I hope he’s not sitting by the phone too long, because that call won’t be coming.
Parise said that he “has a couple things going on” with teams in the NFL, but the Steelers aren’t one of them.
The Steelers have shown interest in outside linebackers Victor Butler, Dwight Freeney and Dumervil, although it seems unlikely that they sign either Butler or Freeney unless they are willing to play on a minimum contract as the Steelers are only slightly over $2 million below the salary cap.
As it looks now, Jason Worilds remains the top candidate to replace Harrison.