Good morning,
The Steelers should waste no more time and sign James Harrison now.
Although it is unlikely he will play anywhere else, why wait? It’s not as if he will come at a steep price, so even if he is injured working out in Arizona, they could then release him and cost them nothing.
After signing him, they should immediately impress upon Jarvis Jones and Ryan Shazier the benefits of dropping everything they’re doing and to head to Arizona to work out with Harrison until the three of them converge on Pittsburgh in a month or so.
The benefits of having James Harrison on the team do not just come during games. Although never seen as a real locker room leader, he can be a real benefit just by osmosis to the young linebackers in whom the Steelers have so much invested.
He also was an asset to them on the field last season. Unlike Ike Taylor and Troy Polamalu, Harrison can still play at a good level. Unlike Brett Keisel, his season did not end with a serious injury and at the moment there are not two starters in front of him. Only Jarvis Jones has any experience among their outside linebackers under contract.
Harrison wrote publicly Sunday on Twitter and Instagram that he wants to play in 2015. Some may assume that would mean anywhere but as Harrison said in words and deeds last season, he won’t play anywhere else because of his kids. He turned down a chance to play in Arizona last season and then retired before he re-signed with the Steelers before the fourth game. He said at the time that the Steelers were the only team he would play for because of his family and that even then he got his kids’ permission to return to play before he would agree to do so.
He said he would not even want to play again in Cincinnati -- where he spent the 2013 season – because it took him away from his family. So he turned down Arizona.
“Being out there I realized I would be away from my kids for an extended period of time,’’ Harrison said after signing with the Steelers last year. “I had gone through that already in Cincinnati. It was not something I was looking forward to. I just didn’t want to do it.’’
Going by that, you would think the Steelers would be the only team he would consider playing for. He won’t go to Arizona and Nashville is farther than Cincinnati. Plus, there won’t be a large market out there for someone who turns 37 in May.
The Steelers hold all the cards in this one, but really what’s the big deal? Sign him now, and have those young linebackers serve their apprenticeship with him.
First Published: April 6, 2016, 4:09 p.m.
