Pittsburgh Steelers’ Troy Polamalu Considering Retirement
By Michael Terrill
@MichaelTerrill
USA Today Sports Images
Despite two more years on his contract with the Pittsburgh Steelers, veteran safety Troy Polamalu will not rule out the possibility of retirement in 2015.
When the soon-to-be 34-year-old was asked about his playing future after the loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Wild Card, Polamalu consistently said “time will tell” in his response.
“Honestly, we just lost a game,” he said, according to CBS Sports. “I don’t think I’m prepared to even think about that or talk about that at this time.”
Polamalu played in 12 games this season, but unfortunately, he was unable to suit up for four of the final seven games, which includes the last two contests of the season with a knee injury. Even though the Steelers were victorious in Week 16 and Week 17 without him, there is no denying that he gives them a huge advantage on defense when he is in the lineup. That was widely apparent when he led the Steelers with eight tackles in the playoff loss.
Not too long ago, Polamalu was the most feared game changer in football. With growing age and piling up injuries, though, he has not been the same player. Sure, his tackle numbers are still rather consistent. However, his game-changing takeaways and defended passes are nearly non-existent. For that reason, many believe losing a step should lead to retirement.
On the other hand, his leadership and ability to still be a productive player is reason to believe he will return in 2015. More importantly, he likes the idea of playing on a young, talented team that could do some damage in the division next season.
As Polamalu already stated, only time will tell if he decides to continue playing.
Michael Terrill is a Senior Writer for Rant Sports. Follow him on Twitter @MichaelTerrill, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.
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