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Steelers bid an amicable goodbye to quarterback

Thursday, February 27, 2003

By Gerry Dulac, Post-Gazette Sports Writer

In the end, when the move that had been expected for weeks finally became official, Kordell Stewart's career with the Steelers was dismissed in five paragraphs.

After captivating the National Football League as "Slash" as a rookie in 1995, after leading the team to two AFC championship game appearances in five years and becoming the second-most-productive quarterback in club history, Stewart officially was released by the Steelers yesterday in a move that had little fanfare and elicited almost as little reaction from team officials.

The Steelers issued a brief statement saying Stewart was released for salary-cap purposes and did not make their two top officials -- President Dan Rooney and Coach Bill Cowher -- available for comment. Instead, Rooney and Cowher each issued a prepared comment in a statement that totaled a mere 209 words -- just 77 more than backup offensive lineman Keydrick Vincent received last week for signing a one-year contract.

"This is what I wanted," Stewart said. "This is what I asked for in our last meeting. Considering the direction they were going and the direction I was trying to go, this is the best thing for me."

The official parting between Stewart and the team that drafted him in the second round in 1995 was not acrimonious. Rooney and Cowher each called him Tuesday night to tell them of their decision and wish him well.

Stewart's release means he is an unrestricted free agent and allowed to negotiate with any of the other 31 teams in the National Football League.

"I've never been one to fight for something where I know I'm not going to get it," he said. "I can't fight by myself. I've got to have people to fight with me. That's too hard."

Stewart's release, which came just two days before the start of free agency, will save the Steelers $6.3 million -- Stewart's scheduled salary for 2003. The prorated portion of his signing bonus from 1999 -- $1.62 million -- will count against the salary cap.

"In order for us to comply with the salary cap, we are forced to make some very difficult decisions," Cowher said in the release. "He was a terrific player for us and always handled himself as a consummate professional. We wish Kordell the best as he continues his NFL career."

Stewart was the Steelers' starting quarterback for most of six seasons, leading them within a step of the Super Bowl in 1997 and 2001. But he began his career in '95 as Slash -- a combination wide receiver/quarterback/running threat who quickly evolved as one of the most dynamic players in the NFL.

After winning the team's MVP award and being named to the Pro Bowl in 2001, Stewart was benched after the third game last season and replaced by Tommy Maddox. The only time he returned to the lineup was when Maddox missed two games because of a cerebral and spinal-cord concussion.

"Kordell Stewart gave us everything he had and brought a lot of excitement and success to us on the field," Rooney said. "He is also a good person who contributed much of his time in this community. He always handled himself with class and dignity. We appreciate all of the contributions he has made to the Steelers and we wish him well."

Stewart might have to soften his stated desire to be a starting quarterback in the NFL because there appear to be few, if any, such openings. His agent, Leigh Steinberg, said the best he can hope for is to sign as a backup with a team that will give him a chance to compete for the starting position.

"Every team has an incumbent quarterback," Steinberg said. "It's not as if anyone is going to hand Kordell the starting reins next year. What we'll be looking for is a situation where Kordell can be competitive and compete for the starting role."

Steinberg said Stewart will start scheduling trips to visit coaches and front-office personnel from other NFL teams. He listed several possible new homes for Stewart, including Carolina, Cincinnati, Chicago, Arizona and Denver.

But even those teams might not be willing to sign Stewart.

The Panthers are expected to re-sign starter, Rodney Peete, even though he will be 37 next month; and the Bengals do not appear to be interested in Stewart, even though former Steelers assistant Marvin Lewis is the new head coach. Also, Baltimore, another AFC North team that might have had some interest in Stewart, is preparing to meet today or tomorrow with Jeff Blake to re-sign him.

A good spot for Stewart might be Tampa Bay, where the Super Bowl champions could lose both backups, Rob Johnson and Shaun King, in free agency. But Stewart would not be given a chance to unseat starter Brad Johnson.

NOTE -- The Steelers' Aug. 21 exhibition game against the Dallas Cowboys will start at 8 p.m. at Heinz Field and be televised nationally by Fox.