James Harrison Set to Return in 2016

Thirteen years into his decorated career, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison needed a bit of time to himself this offseason before deciding whether to return to the NFL and play out the final year of his contract.

Now, it appears that decision has been made. Harrison’s agent, Bill Parise, told the media his client is “under contract for one more year” and that he “plans to honor” that arrangement.

Pittsburgh’s general manager Kevin Colbert reflected welcoming feelings from the front office’s end. “James came back and did a great job not only on the field but he was really a great mentor to our younger players,” he said. “He inspired those guys in the way he goes about his business every day.”

Harrison is due a base salary of $1.25 million for 2016; a bargain considering the productivity the veteran linebacker has continued to display in his waning years.

After spending a forgettable 2013 in Cincinnati, many expected Harrison to retire, before re-joining the Steelers and remaining an effective piece of the team’s defense, often earning playing time from younger prospects.

With 10.5 sacks on approximately 15-25 snaps per game over the past two seasons, Harrison – who will be 38 by the commencement of the 2016 season – still has some important items on his to-do list before calling it quits.

On a personal level, Harrison needs 3 sacks to break Jason Gildon’s all-time franchise record; certainly a doable feat provided he stays healthy and earns the same amount of game time each week.

In a bigger picture sense, Harrison will be hoping to pull a Jerome Bettis: sticking around for one more year on a good team in the hopes of ending your career with a championship. But unlike Bettis, Harrison has already tasted NFL glory twice before. One time as a special teamer, and another when he was responsible for the greatest play in Super Bowl history.

A third ring and the sack record held with a franchise that boasts arguably the greatest lineage of pass rushers in the NFL should be enough to tick the last box on that list: retiring peacefully and accepting a Hall of Fame jacket in the not-too-distant future.