The Pittsburgh Steelers may not be participating in the remainder of the 2020 postseason, but a number of Steelers alumni will be, including some very notable names. I looked through the depth charts of the remaining eight teams and came away with the names of six notable former Steelers across four different rosters, including two in the AFC and two in the NFC.
You know, of course, that Le’Veon Bell, their former first-team All-Pro running back, is now on the Kansas City Chiefs, who are playing in their first postseason game of the year after resting through their first-round bye.
Bell originally signed with the New York Jets in free agency in 2019. He was released earlier this season, and Kansas City signed him, serving behind their first-round rookie running back, who has been banged up lately.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who have a number of former Steelers players and coaches on their staff, have the most alumni on the roster, and of course the most notable name among them is wide receiver Antonio Brown, a potential future Hall of Famer. It’s entirely possible that Bell and Brown face off in the Super Bowl this year.
The Buccaneers, however, also have some other names of note, namely former Steelers cornerback Ross Cockrell and defensive lineman Steve McLendon. Both of them spent time in the starting lineup for Pittsburgh several years ago.
The New Orleans Saints, who face Tampa Bay this week, feature a notable name in former Steelers wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders, a 2010 third-round draft pick whose career would only blossom after he left Pittsburgh. He has proven to have a long and fruitful career, and has previously won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos.
Last, and I suppose arguably least, is the Baltimore Ravens, who have two former members of the Steelers’ defense. That includes inside linebacker L.J. Fort, whom Pittsburgh probably wished at some point this past year they still had on the roster. He has been a rotational starter, playing nearly 400 snaps this year and registering over 50 tackles. Former cornerback Brian Allen was also recently added.
There might be another stray name or two here and there, but these seemed to be the names worth mentioning among alumni, in case anybody felt like rooting for (or against) some of our own from years past. Given that they are represented on half of the remaining teams, there are fairly decent odds that at least one of them reached the Super Bowl and perhaps even wins it. it’s possible that all four teams advance to the conference finals, guaranteeing that a former Steeler will be adding a ring.
