When the 2014 season started running back LeGarrette Blount was a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers. The season will end Sunday night with the Super Bowl in Arizona with Blount being a mender of the New England Patriots.
“You know things didn’t work out as planned,’’ Blount said Tuesday at Super Bowl media day when asked about the partial season that he spent with the Steelers. “So we decided to part ways. I ended up here and now I’m about to play in the Super Bowl.’’
The Steelers decided to part ways with a then-disgruntled Blount less than 24 hours after he walked off the field and into the locker room before the Week 11 Monday night game against the Tennessee Titans ended. After clearing waivers, Blount found himself back with the Patriots, the team he played for in 2013.
While many believe that Blount orchestrated his own exit from Pittsburgh after seeing his playing time decrease so that he could return to the Patriots, the running back denied those accusations Tuesday in Arizona “with a soft ‘No’ and a shake of his head”, according to Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
There is really no way that Blount could have been given any guarantee that he would ultimately return to the Patriots if waived by the Steelers. Why do I say that? I can say that because of how the waivers system work. When Blount was waived by the Steelers there were 30 other teams that could’ve claimed him and his meager contract before the Patriots could’ve as they had the best record in the league at the time.
In other words, Blount could’ve just as easily landed with the Minnesota Vikings had they deemed him worthy of claiming off waivers.
Including the playoffs, Blount has rushed for 430 yards and six touchdowns on 93 carries since joining the Patriots. He has yet to win a Super Bowl during his career but that could change Sunday night if he has a big game against the Seattle Seahawks.
No, Blount landing back with the Patriots wasn’t orchestrated, but if wins his first Super Bowl Sunday night, it will forever be hard to convince most Steelers fans that it wasn’t.
#Steelers DE Brett Keisel gives ex-Steelers RB Blount handshake followed by a hug in warm greeting at SB media day pic.twitter.com/fVZdpD5GaY
— Ed Bouchette (@EdBouchette) January 27, 2015
