Heath Miller's Career With Pittsburgh Steelers Has Been Quiet And Steady

There are few players in the NFL who have had such an impact on a team yet attracted so little attention like Pittsburgh Steelers‘ tight end Heath Miller has been doing for the past 11 seasons. The oft-forgotten veteran announced his retirement from football Friday afternoon after a productive career that included two Pro Bowl appearances and most importantly, two Super Bowl championships.

Miller was selected 30th overall by Pittsburgh in the 2005 NFL Draft and made an immediate contribution on offense with 39 receptions in his rookie campaign, which the franchise capped with a league-tying fifth Super Bowl championship. He had his best season in 2012 when he caught 71 passes, eight of which were for touchdowns.

Despite his low-profile in the league, he’s always been a fan favorite in Pittsburgh. In fact, everytime Miller caught a pass, fans would chant ‘Heath’, which could easily be mistaken for a chorus of boos if you didn’t know any better. He quickly became a security blanket for quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.

Miller’s college accolades include the 2004 John Mackey Award given the nation’s best tight end, a unanimous All-American selection in 2004 and first-team All-ACC honors in 2003 and 2004.

Miller never received the national attention that tight ends like Rob Gronkowski have been given, and I’m certainly not saying he’s on the same level, but there’s no questioning his importance in the game. He’ll be remembered fondly by the Pittsburgh faithful for a long time to come.

The Steelers will likely look to add a tight end through the draft or free agency. They have second-year tight end Jesse James on the roster, who has shown a lot of potential. They also have veteran backup Matt Spaeth, though they may want to add a little more depth in case James doesn’t pan out the way they had hoped.