Every fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers who was at least 18 years of age in 1996 remembers the team trading for running back Jerome Bettis. However, in case anyone needs a quick refresher on the topic, on April 20, 1996, the Los Angeles Rams traded Bettis to the Steelers along with a third-round pick in the 1996 NFL Draft, in exchange for the Pittsburgh’s second-round pick that year and their fourth-round pick in the 1997 NFL Draft. There were, however, a few other details related to that 1996 trade that not a lot of fans of the team know or remember.
For starters, the Rams had given Bettis the option of which team out of two he wanted to be traded two, the Steelers or the Houston Oilers. Bettis chose the Steelers over the Oilers and mainly due to Pittsburgh’s more storied history. He talked about that aspect of the trade and why he chose the Steelers over the Oilers back in 2017.
“I got an opportunity to be traded from the St. Louis Rams to the Pittsburgh Steelers. Fortunately for me, I had a hand in it in that I got an opportunity to choose which team I wanted to be traded to,” Bettis recalled. “There was two opportunities; one, the Tennessee Titans, and the other team was the Pittsburgh Steelers. And I wanted to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers because of the history, but not only the history of the team, the history at the running back position, in particular, because it was a history of big running backs. So, I was really excited about the opportunity to go and play in Pittsburgh.”
While Bettis said Tennessee Titans in that interview, that franchise was still the Houston Oilers in 1996 and not only that, but they were also still in the old AFC Central division along with Steelers. The Oilers moved to Tennessee in 1997 and in 2002 the AFC Central division became the AFC North division as we now know it. In short, had Bettis chosen to be traded to the Oilers in 1996, the Steelers likely would have had to have played against him twice a season for at least the next few seasons. However, with Bettis choosing the Steelers over the Oilers, Houston wound up selecting running back Eddie George out of Ohio State at 14th overall in the 1996 NFL Draft.
Another not-so-well-known aspect related to Bettis and the Steelers acquiring him from the Rams in 1996 is related to his contract. When Bettis was originally drafted by the Rams, he signed a five-year contract worth $4.625 million. However, that rookie contract included incentive clauses, which if achieved, would eliminate the fifth year of his deal (1997), and allow him to become an unrestricted free agent. For him to be able to void the fifth year of his rookie deal, Bettis needed just one Pro Bowl appearance and two 1,200-yard rushing seasons in his first four in the NFL.
As a rookie with the Rams in 1993, Bettis rushed for 1,429 yards, and he made the Pro Bowl that year as well. However, in the 1994 and 1995 season, Bettis failed to hit the 1,200-yard rushing mark. That bit is important because when the Steelers traded for Bettis in 1996, he had a huge incentive hanging in front of him when it came to his first season in Pittsburgh. Basically, had Bettis not hit 1,200 yards rushing with the Steelers in 1996, he would not have the final year of his rookie contract void. Bettis, as you all know, went on to rush for 1,431 yards in 1996 and thus the fifth year of his rookie contract voided.
With Bettis officially becoming an unrestricted free agent in early 1997, the Steelers wasted no time in getting him re-signed. They inked Bettis to a four-year, $14.4 million contract in the middle of February and that deal included a $4 million signing bonus. At that time, Bettis was the highest-paid player in Steelers history and No. 3 among NFL running backs and after only playing one season in Pittsburgh.
