(SportsNetwork.com) – After losing a pair of starting linebackers to injuries
in their last game, the Pittsburgh Steelers are set to bring back a familiar
face.
Former NFL Defensive Player of the Year James Harrison tweeted Monday night
that will come out of a brief retirement and re-join the team he spent 10 of
his 11 NFL seasons with.
“I’ll give it one more year!,” wrote Harrison on his Twitter account.
The decision comes one day after the Steelers saw outside linebacker Jarvis
Jones go down with a wrist injury and rookie Ryan Shazier hurt his right knee
during Sunday’s 37-19 win at Carolina. Jones is expected to be placed on
injured reserve/designated to return, meaning the 2013 first-round pick will
be forced to sit out at least eight games.
Harrison, who spent last season with AFC North-rival Cincinnati, announced his
intention to retire in late August. The 36-year-old was not signed by any team
after being released by the Bengals in March.
Signed by the Steelers as an undrafted rookie free agent in 2002 and released
the following year, Harrison emerged as one of the team’s core players when he
returned in 2004 and helped the franchise to a pair of Super Bowl titles
in his 10 seasons.
Harrison started 95 of the 131 games he played with the Steelers and ranks
fourth in franchise history with 64 sacks. He was the NFL Defensive Player of
the Year in 2008, earned five straight trips to the Pro Bowl from 2007-11 and
was named First-Team All-Pro twice.
The 36-year-old Kent State product also played 12 postseason games with the
Steelers and registered the longest interception return in Super Bowl history
with a 100-yard touchdown against the Arizona Cardinals in Super Bowl XLIII.
Harrison joined division-rival Cincinnati last season and helped the Bengals
to the AFC North crown, amassing 30 tackles with two sacks and an interception
in 15 games.
