Sometimes letting go can be difficult for everybody involved in a relationship. And so it is with the Pittsburgh Steelers and James Harrison.
The Steelers 37-19 victory over the Carolina Panthers was a thing of beauty in many respects, but the win also cost Pittsburgh the services of Ryan Shazier, Ike Taylor, and Jarvis Jones.
The Steelers have solid depth at inside linebacker, depth on paper at cornerback, but Arthur Moats is the team’s only true backup outside linebacker, and he’s now the “Next man up.”
So, less than three weeks after retiring as a Steeler, James Harrison is returning to the team that cut him multiple times a decade ago.
Harrison’s new role with the team is undefined, as Arthur Moats is expected to start vs. Tampa Bay and would presumably remain the incumbent starter, with Harrison seeing spot duty.
Jones Heads to Reserve Recall List
To make room for Harrison, the Steelers placed Jarvis Jones on the NFL’s Injured Reserve, designated return list. Jones must stay on the list until after mid-season, but he is eligible to return after 8 weeks. David DeCastro and Matt Spaeth started their respective 2012 and 2013 seasons on this list and returned at mid season.
While official reports are pending, Ryan Shazier has a sprained MCL and will be out for several weeks and Ike Taylor has a broken forearm which typically take 6 to 8 weeks to heal.
