The Cincinnati Bengals released linebacker James Harrison on Thursday after just one season and according to his agent Bill Parise, his client still wants to play in 2014 and he believes the veteran will draw some interest from other teams.
If you thought Harrison was going to play out his two-year deal in Cincinnati, you were only fooling yourself. The Bengals knew this as well and his Thursday release shouldn’t surprise anyone.
Harrison is about to turn 36 and despite Parise’s optimism, I really will be surprised if a team signs him to anything more than a one-year deal for the veteran minimum.
As far as Harrison possibly returning to the Steelers goes, I wouldn’t hold your breath waiting for that to happen. The team expects Jarvis Jones to start opposite Jason Worilds this year, so that alone would result in Harrison being unable to get anything more than the minimum from Pittsburgh.
You also need to keep in mind that Harrison doesn’t play on special teams and that’s generally a must for backup Steelers linebackers. Yes, the Steelers need depth behind Jones and Worilds, but right now I have a feeling they are more comfortable with Chris Carter providing that depth than many of us are. They will address the position in the draft at some point.
