James Harrison has been one of the more recognizable names throughout the NFL since the Pittsburgh Steelers‘ last Super Bowl run in 2008, and he announced on Tuesday that he’ll be returning for one more run at a championship.
Harrison registered the play in Super Bowl XLIII that’s widely considered to be the greatest in the event’s history when he intercepted Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kurt Warner on the goal line and ran 100-plus yards for a touchdown that put Pittsburgh up by two scores at the half.
The Steelers won the game 27-23, which was their sixth championship and Harrison’s second of his career.
Harrison signed with the Cincinnati Bengals after being cut by the Steelers in 2013, spending one year there. After he was released by Cincinnati, he announced his retirement from the NFL. The veteran came out of retirement on September 23, 2014 after injuries to the Steelers’ defense left them with a need at linebacker. He signed a two-year extension last offseason, and today, he decided to stick around for the remainder.
The Steelers have a talented nucleus of young linebackers who will start next season, but the depth and leadership that Harrison provides is an immensely positive thing for the team. Pittsburgh has drafted a linebacker in the first round (Jarvis Jones, Ryan Shazier and Bud Dupree) each of the last three seasons, so it won’t be like he’ll be needed on every down.
Harrison, 38, had a productive offseason meeting with head coach Mike Tomlin which likely swayed him to return for one more season. He’s set to make $1.25 million in 2016. It’s also worth mentioning that Vegas has the Steelers as 8-1 co-favorites to win Super Bowl LI. It’s definitely easier to put yourself through the grind of an NFL season when there’s the possibility of a championship.
