The Steelers teams of the 2010s are often remembered for their physical, smashmouth style on both the offensive and defensive sides of the football. The 2008 defense is often recognized as possibly the best Steelers defense of all-time while the offense had a knack of catching lightning in a bottle thanks to the late game heroics of QB Ben Roethlisberger, finding a way to come out of games on top late in the fourth quarter.
Talking to former Steelers CB Bryant McFadden on the All Things Covered podcast, former Steelers DC Dick LeBeau and McFadden spoke about the talent that Pittsburgh had on their Super Bowl-winning team back in 2005, having six members of that team already enshrined in Canton.
McFadden then went on to name Roethlisberger and OLB James Harrison as other names from that roster who will eventually get enshrined into Canton along with WR Hines Ward. LeBeau responded to McFadden, agreeing that Ward should end up in the Hall of Fame while throwing out another name that isn’t often mentioned as a potential Hall of Fame candidate during his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers: TE Heath Miller.
“No doubt, no doubt,” LeBeau responded to McFadden suggesting that Hines Ward should get into the Hall of Fame. “How about our tight end? Heath [Miller] could probably get in too.”
Ward’s candidacy as a potential member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame has been a heavily debated topic amongst Steelers fans since he retired after the 2011 season, having played for 14 seasons in Pittsburgh and amassed 1,000 receptions for 12,083 yards and 85 TDs, being named a 4x Pro Bowler, a 2x Super Bowl champion, and Super Bowl XL MVP. Still, while Ward’s career counting stats and accomplishments should deserve consideration for enshrinement, the argument often posed against him is that he was never a top three WR in the league for any stretch of time during his NFL career, being a consistent, steady producer, but never a dominant player.
Heath Miller, on the other hand, has rarely ever been brought up for discussion as a potential Hall of Fame candidate. Miller is a 2x Pro Bowler and 2x Super Bowl champion, having posted 592 receptions for 6,569 yards and 45 TDs during his 11-year NFL career. He was a great security blanket for Ben Roethlisberger during his time in Pittsburgh and also excelled as a run blocker, showing strength and physicality to help spring backs like Willie Parker, Rashard Mendenhall, and Le’Veon Bell into the second level.
Miller currently ranks 15th all-time in receiving yards at the TE position and ranks outside the top 20 in TDs scored according to Statmuse. While These ranks are respectable for Hall of Fame consideration, Miller is facing quite the logjam at the position with guys that are likely ahead of him deserving to get in. Names including Antonio Gates, Jason Witten, and Rob Gronkowski all likely deserve to be enshrined into Canton before Miller, putting him into a similar predicament Hines Ward is facing with several notable names likely being ahead of him to get into Canton.
No one is going to dispute the impact that both Miller and Ward had on the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as the NFL during their time in the league. While it is plausible that one or possibly both could get a nod for Canton one day, the likelihood of either getting in anytime soon given the landscape of the selection process isn’t promising as we sit here today.
