After announcing his retirement from playing football in the NFL, former linebacker James Harrison wants the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans to know there’s no hard feelings.
Harrison, if you remember, shocked many Steelers fans and players when he signed on with the New England Patriots after being released by Pittsburgh last year. At the time, it sure seemed like the veteran was at least slightly bitter about his last season with the Steelers.
After settling into his new reality for a while, however, Harrison now wants bygones to be bygones.
“I have no problem with the Steelers family,’’ said Harrison, per Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “I have no problem with the Rooneys. They made a business decision that was best for their organization. I made a business decision that was best for me and family at the time. We went our separate ways.
“Fans get mad because they’re stuck with a team, one team, that’s their team. At the end of the day, it’s a business. Yes, you have loyalties to teams, but when it comes down to it, it’s a job, and when your job fires you, you need to find another job.”
It’s easy to say things like this in hindsight. But we can’t forget that Harrison threw the team under the bus in a way on his way out the door, either.
The Steelers might need some more time to pass before Harrison is welcomed back to the family again. When asked about the prospect of the former start retiring as a member of the franchise, Art Rooney II said that could require a cooldown period of sorts.