James Harrison lays into the Steelers for lack of success

[hawaiiansteeler]

James Harrison lays into the Steelers for lack of success

The 2008 Defensive Player of the Year had some choice words about his former team

By Jarrett Bailey Feb 8, 2024

James Harrison is one of the best, and most beloved, Pittsburgh Steelers over the last two decades. During his time in Pittsburgh, he won the 2008 Defensive Player of the Year award, and helped the Steelers make it to three Super Bowls.

Over the past decade, though, gone have been the long playoff runs and Super Bowl championships. Since 2016, it’s been quick one-and-done playoff appearances, or no playoffs at all- something Harrison is tired of seeing.

The five-time Pro Bowler joined The Pat McAfee Show where he gave his thoughts on the current state of the franchise.

to read more:

https://www.behindthesteelcurtain.co...s-nfl-playoffs

[Steeler-in-west]

Those unfulfilled years between 11-18 with all that talent. Yeah it’s still painful, going forward a lot depends on KP, a good draft/offseason. We’re not that far away from a postseason run but those two things need to go well for us.

[86WARD]

“The expectations should never change,” Harrison said. “I think the expectations have become ‘We don’t want to have a losing season.’ I’m not throwing salt or 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 what the standard of the Pittsburgh Steelers legacy, the lore is.”

He’s not wrong…

[DesertSteel]

James Harrison… Pat MacAfee… blah blah blah

[DuckHodges]

I ain’t ever gonna disagree with James

[Hawkman]

I ain’t ever gonna disagree with James

……Especially if you’re in the same room with him.

[Mojouw]

I see Deebo is joining a long line of Steelers pressing the easy button on generating publicity as a former Steeler. Just get in front of a microphone and rant about how if the team just tried harder and the coaches were meaner that the trophies would follow.

I expect ranting videos from the cab of a parked pickup soon. Maybe he can do one with Rocky Bleir?

I think Harrison is pretty eager to break into media. Needs to find a more original angle.

[DesertSteel]

"The good old days" <yawn>

[86WARD]

It’s actually nice to see some of these guys “tell the truth” opposed to taking the boring company line all the time.

[Born2Steel]

There is frustration with all Steelers fans, ex-players included. I just refuse to accept this whole narrative that the goal is no longer Lombardis. The goal is now, and will always be to win Lombardis. The fact that we have a head coach that has kept us in the playoffs conversation each and every season is evidence of that. The BIG and BOLD recent moves with the coaching staff is even further proof of that goal. The owner has made statements very publicly what the goal is.

All this JH noise is pointless peripheral clickbait and is 100% outside the organization.

[Mojouw]

There is frustration with all Steelers fans, ex-players included. I just refuse to accept this whole narrative that the goal is no longer Lombardis. The goal is now, and will always be to win Lombardis. The fact that we have a head coach that has kept us in the playoffs conversation each and every season is evidence of that. The BIG and BOLD recent moves with the coaching staff is even further proof of that goal. The owner has made statements very publicly what the goal is.

All this JH noise is pointless peripheral clickbait and is 100% outside the organization.

Exactly!

Look at the teams that don't spend to the cap e sorry year.

Teams that trade every veteran for future draft picks.

Teams that change plans and strategies like socks.

Those are the teams that aren't serious about winning Super Bowls and are just happy to get through a season without a total disaster.

Steelers have chosen to never do the typical rebuilding things and try and win 8+ games a season and see what happens.

It is hard to accumulate the necessary talent that way.

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[El Kabong]

Don't get me wrong. I love James Harrison, and I always will. That play of his in the Super Bowl is up there with the Immaculate Reception as among the greatest plays in the entire history of the Pittsburgh Steelers, and I will always appreciate him for that.

Having said that, as I recall, toward the end of his time with the Steelers, James was very dissatisfied with how he was being used, and he took it out in very passive aggressive ways including falling asleep during meetings and refusing to mentor young players, acting up so as to get the Steelers to release him so that he could join the Patriots and go to another Super Bowl. That behavior was not professional and not conducive to the Steelers winning that year, so maybe James can take a chill with criticizing the Steelers now.

[polamalubeast]

Harrison is not wrong in that....The non losing streak don't mean much in the last few years when you are a wild card berth at best.....I would love to see the steelers have a rebuilding in the goal to be much better after that....The steelers are stuck in the middle right now and it will likely not change if the QB position is below average....Even average is not good enough

[Born2Steel]

Sometimes...I think you guys think you can just put together a team of hot name coaches, assemble some media darling players, and just go win championships.

Nowhere in the DNA of building championship teams is losing. If you cannot win it because another team is in the way, you must beat that team. Not by losing to get into the top10 of the draft.

[Mojouw]

Sometimes...I think you guys think you can just put together a team of hot name coaches, assemble some media darling players, and just go win championships.

Nowhere in the DNA of building championship teams is losing. If you cannot win it because another team is in the way, you must beat that team. Not by losing to get into the top10 of the draft.

I'm certainly not saying that. Rebuilding is not tanking. But it can be having a 2 year plan to get better and not worrying about playoff implications.

Both the Niners and Chiefs have high first round picks critical to their success.

The last Steelers championship teams benefited immensely from Troy and Ben.

It's difficult to get that level of talent picking in the final third of every round.

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[Voice of Reason]

I see Deebo is joining a long line of Steelers pressing the easy button on generating publicity as a former Steeler. Just get in front of a microphone and rant about how if the team just tried harder and the coaches were meaner that the trophies would follow.

I expect ranting videos from the cab of a parked pickup soon. Maybe he can do one with Rocky Bleir?

I think Harrison is pretty eager to break into media. Needs to find a more original angle.

Apparently there are some truths about the Steelers that nobody is allowed to say. Even if you're James Harrison.

[Steel Peon]

I saw some former Steelers in the Super Bowl today, which of course has been a regular theme for players who've left our team for the last decade or so. Once they move on they've achieved far greater success, and lately the list keeps getting longer. Something about a player's attitude changes when they leave Pittsburgh and join a well coached football team, all the while our team's culture basically sucks. This is not to say we're one of the worst coached or managed teams in the NFL, but we're nowhere near the top.