Steelers' James Harrison Would Be Banned From Playing By All-Pro: "He's Got To Sit His A** On The Bench"

The Pittsburgh Steelers high-flying and physical defenses from the 2000s and early 2010s was a big reason why the team saw so much success. During that time period, Pittsburgh saw three Super Bowl appearances while winning two of them. They were consistently a factor in the postseason. The defense had great defenders at every position, but it had two Defensive Player Of The Year winners leading the way in Troy Polamalu and James Harrison.

Harrison was one of the most vicious players in the league during his playing career. Very rarely did he have any regard for player safety on the field, including his own. He was known for flying in, helmet first, to deliver some bone-crushing hits on ball carriers and pass-catchers. Harrison, and the rest of Pittsburgh's defense, was a big reason the NFL initiated the player safety initiative. Harrison struck fear in his opponents, and he was also one of the most productive defenders in the league. 

Former NFL tight end and two-time All-Pro, Greg Olsen, made a recent appearance on The Pat Bev Podcast With Rone. While on the show, he was asked what kind of things are discussed in NFL locker rooms.

"James Harrison, right, the big a** linebacker, outside edge rusher from the Steelers all those years. He's one of those guys when you're getting ready to play the Steelers you're like, 'S**t. I have to go up against James Harrison', So there were conversations around picking five guys in the league that you could say they're not allowed to play in the game before you're about to matchup. If I had a veto card, James Harrison, he's got to sit his a** on the bench, he can't play."

It's hard to imagine that Harrison wouldn't be on every offensive player's list that played during his career. Harrison was an agent of destruction, who often times was a big reason Pittsburgh would win games. Harrison was fined over $203,000 throughout his career for hits on receivers and late hits on quarterbacks. He was also suspended one game for a late hit on Colt McCoy when the Steelers played the Cleveland Browns during the 2011 season. 

Olsen could be making this remark for a of couple reasons. He could think Harrison was just a really good football player, who often made a large impact on the game. Since Harrison was an edge rusher, Olsen would have to deal with blocking him a lot of the time as a tight end; of course he wouldn't want him on the field.

Or, he could have been saying this because he thought Harrison was a dirty player. There are many people in the NFL world who believe Harrison played dirty, and they're hard to argue with due to the sheer amount of times he has been fined. The nature of some of Harrison's hits from the late 2000s and early 2010s are extremely violent, but it could just be said that he played football the way it was meant to be played.

It's unclear if Olsen was just being nice to Harrison and respecting his game, or taking a shot at him for being a dirty player. No matter how Olsen meant his comments, any offense in the league would prefer to go against a defense that doesn't have Harrison on it. 

Steelers Legend Has Been Outspoken About Rule Changes In The League

The NFL is always trying to tweak the rules in order to prevent injuries to players. During the 2024 offseason, they banned the hip-drop tackle. This is basically any tackle when a defender is chasing a ball carrier down from behind. Banning this kind of play puts the defense at a massive disadvantage. 

During his playing days, it was clear Harrison preferred the style of the NFL before it had a ton of small little rules to prevent injury. His mindset remains the same, even in retirement. Every time the NFL makes a rule change, like banning the hip-drop tackle, Harrison seems to speak out on it.

What do you think of Olsen's comments about Harrison? Let us know in the comments below!

#SteelerNation