Tag: James Harrison

Steelers legend James Harrison blasts Mike Tomlin’s ‘standard’

“The standard is the standard” used to mean something to the Pittsburgh Steelers players and organization. Now it’s meaningless hot air.

“The standard is the standard” has been the mantra of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization for decades. It used to mean something, but like many fans of the team, a Steelers legend agrees they’re now pointless hot air.

“It’s not what you’re used to. The standard is the standard. It feels like a saying now. It’s not something you actually see,” James Harrison said on the Jan. 22 episode of Willie Colon’s “Why Willie Show.”

This isn’t the first time the two-time All-Pro has called out Mike Tomlin and the Steelers front office.

Last year on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Harrison was vocal about lowered expectations for the storied franchise.

Harrison believes Tomlin is largely to blame for Pittsburgh’s five-game skid and eight-year playoff win drought.

“If I’m the head coach of a football team, and I’ve been the head coach of this football team for however long that’s been, and now the team’s not doing well — that all has to fall on my shoulders,” Harrison said.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Steelers shut out among Pro Football Hall of Fame finalists

Hines Ward and James Harrison missed the cut for the HOF again.

On Saturday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the 15 modern-era finalists for the 2025 class of the Hall of Fame. Unfortunately, that list did not include either of the former Pittsburgh Steelers who were semi-finalists.

Wide receiver Hines Ward and linebacker James Harrison both missed the cut this time around.

For Harrison, the only player at his position who did make the cut was former Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs. In fairness to Suggs, he played 51 more career games and finished with 139 sacks compared to just 84.5 for Harrison. For the Steelers, Harrison is a legend but his road to the HOF isn’t going to be easy.

The argument for Ward is even tougher with three other wide receivers making the finals. Ward is one of only 14 wide receivers with at least 1,000 career receptions. Another of those is Reggie Wayne who is a finalist as is Steve Smith Sr. Only Torry Holt doesn’t have at least 1,000 receptions and all three finalists have more receiving yards. However, none of them have more receiving touchdowns.

 

[lawrence-auto-related count=2]

T.J. Watt hits Steelers milestone in Week 15 matchup vs Eagles

T.J. Watt tied James Harrison’s Steelers record for forced fumbles, inching closer to becoming the franchise’s all-time leader.

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape, you don’t spit in the wind, and you shouldn’t let T.J. Watt anywhere near an opposing quarterback. Despite suffering an apparent ankle injury in Pittsburgh’s Week 15 loss to the Eagles, Watt once again etched his name among all-time Steelers legends by tying the record for most forced fumbles in team history.

Toward the end of the first quarter, Watt made a huge splash play by punching the football out of Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts’ arms, earning his 33rd career forced fumble in the process.

Watt is now tied with Steelers legend James Harrison, but at this stage of his career, surpassing Harrison is practically a matter of when, not if.

If Watt is healthy enough to play in what may be the most important game of the Steelers’ season so far—the AFC North showdown against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 16—fans should have their eyes glued to his immaculate ability to knock footballs loose.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Former Steelers WR Hines Ward among 50 candidates for Pro Football HOF

3 former Steelers made the top 50 for the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

On Wednesday, the Pro Football Hall of Fame announced the final 50 modern-era candidates for the 2025 call of the Pro Football Hall of Fame. Next up will be the announcement of the 25 modern-era semifinalists.

The Pittsburgh Steelers got three players in the final 50. Wide receiver Hines Ward, outside linebacker James Harrison and kicker Gary Anderson are among the final 50 modern-era candidates for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2025.

Based on the strength of the 2025 class, all three former Steelers are probably long shots to make the Hall. Anderson is in the same group as Adam Vinatieri and there aren’t going to be two kickers and both Ward and Harrison face stiff competition at their respective positions.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

James Harrison and Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson will have an MMA match at the 2025 Super Bowl

Why in the world would anyone want to fight James Harrison?

Chad “Ochochinco” Johnson and James Harrison have undoubtedly crossed paths a number of times on the field.

With Harrions being a Steelers legend and Johnson being the face of the Bengals for so long, there’s a natural tension between them. Surely, they’ve clashed more often than not.

Now, they’ll take that clash into the octagon.

Johnson and Harrison are set to have a mixed martial arts exhibition match ahead of the Super Bowl this year. Johnson posted about the matchup on Twitter and, yet, it’s still hard to believe this is happening.

Why would you ever want to fight a guy who works out like this? I mean, he literally needed to spice up his pushup challenge with extra humans because he wasn’t challenged enough. That’s not somebody I’d be trying to fight.

But Johnson is down, though.

These two are already talking trash to each other.

Hey, man. This might be a good time.

Former Steelers legend to square off with Chad Johnson in MMA bout

James Harrison is scheduled to fight Chad Johnson in MMA before the Super Bowl.

When he played and even since his retirement, there are few NFL players as strong and aggressive as former Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison. His feats of strength are the stuff of legend, even years after retiring.

So count us among those surprise when former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Johnson put it out on social media that he and Harrison are scheduled to square off in a five-round MMA bout in New Orleans ahead of the Super Bowl.

The two went back and forth on social media about the fight which leads us to believe this might actually happen and it isn’t just talk.

We are genuinely worried about Johnson if this fight really happens. We don’t know exactly how much either guy weighs right now but Harrison played at close to 250 pounds at six feet tall. Johnson, on the other hand, is around 6-foot-1 and played at about 190 pounds. This could get really ugly really fast.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

James Harrison makes bold claim about Patriots cheating

James Harrison still believes the Patriots were cheating before he joined the team

Former Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots linebacker James Harrison made a bold claim this week, saying the Patriots cheated during his playing days.

Harrison got to see both sides of the equation, as he played for the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2002-2012. He played with the Cincinnati Bengals for one year in 2013 before rejoining the Pittsburgh Steelers from 2014-2017. He then went to New England for the final year of his career in 2017, recording two sacks and a forced fumble in one regular season appearance.

Despite his accusations, Harrison insisted that the Patriots organization was clean by the time he played in his final season.

“Hell yeah, they was cheating. What you mean? …They missed one blitz, man,” Harrison said, when appearing on “Not Just Football with Cam Heyward”. “…They wasn’t doing it. [when I got there]. If they was doing it, they must have stopped when I got there.”

It is certainly interesting that Harrison would say something like this, given that he played for New England. But then again, it’s also a reminder that he was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers at heart.

Ranking all 6 of the Steelers Super Bowl wins

What is the greatest Super Bowl win in Steelers history?

There are few franchises with the Super Bowl resume of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The team has made it to eight Super Bowls, second-best in NFL history and won six of them. This is tied for the most by any NFL team. With the Super Bowl being played this weekend we decided to re-visit those six wins and rank them.

James Harrison calls out Steelers for abandoning the ‘standard’

The expectations the Steelers have for themselves isn’t what it used to be.

Back in James Harrison‘s day, the Pittsburgh Steelers played a different brand of football. Hard-nosed and smashmouth were two descriptives that went hand-in-hand with Steeler football.

The team is now in a transition period, only they’ve lost their way and, with it, their purpose — or the standard, as it’s often referred to.

“The expectations has become we don’t want to have a losing season,” Harrison said on the Feb. 7 episode of “The Pat McAfee Show. “I’m not throwing flak at anybody, but the Pittsburgh Steelers standard is to win Lombardis. When you go into that building, there’s six of them sitting there. And, right now, we’re not even winning a playoff game.”

“I think we need to get back to the standard of Pittsburgh Steeler legacy, the lore. And that’s just not what it is.”

The Steelers are in the process of retooling their staff ahead of the 2024 NFL draft. Though they’re far from being in the Super Bowl conversation, it appears Mike Tomlin is making moves in an attempt to get them back on the right path.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Today marks the 15th anniversary of the greatest Super Bowl of all time

Super Bowl XLIII was the greatest Super Bowl of all time.

Of the 57 Super Bowls throughout history, so many have been classics. But for us, one stands about the rest. Fifteen years ago today, the Pittsburgh Steelers and Arizona Cardinals played in Super Bowl XLIII.

After the Steelers jumped out to a 20-3 lead through three quarters, the Cardinals stormed back in the second half and nearly completed one of the most epic comebacks in NFL history before falling 27-23.

This game was highlighted by perhaps the two greatest plays in Super Bowl history. First was the 100-yard interception return for a touchdown by Pittsburgh linebacker James Harrison near the end of the first half that killed the Cardinals’ momentum on a drive that would have surely resulted in a touchdown.

Then, late in the fourth quarter, when the Steelers needed a touchdown, quarterback Ben Roethlisberger delivered. He threw an absolute strike to wide receiver Santonio Holmes in the corner of the end zone to secure the win.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]