What could have been.
That’s always something fun to look back at in the history of sports, like how many points and Stanley Cups would Mario Lemieux have won with the Pittsburgh Penguins if not for cancer and injuries, or what would the 2017 Steelers could have done with a healthy Ryan Shazier at linebacker. This could go on and on. You get the point.
The what-ifs also occur with moves that never happened, like the Steelers nearly trading Ben Roethlisberger to the San Francisco 49ers around 2010 after Roethlisberger was accused of sexual assault on two separate occasions, July 2009 and March 2010.
That one seems a bit dark, and rightfully so, but there are also some very curious, eyebrow-raising situations that never occurred, which would have been quite fun. For example, the possibility of quarterback Dan Marino coming home to Pittsburgh late in his career to play for the Steelers around 2000.
That one nearly happened, according to Marino, before he ultimately retired. The Steelers and Marino nearly becoming a tandem remains one of the “juiciest” pairings that never happened, according to CBS Sports’ Cody Benjamin.
“Marino is synonymous with the Miami Dolphins, for whom he played his entire 17-year Hall of Fame career. But the nine-time Pro Bowl quarterback strongly considered returning to his hometown of Pittsburgh after the Dolphins declined to exercise his contract for the 2000 season, he revealed later,” Benjamin writes regarding Marino and the Steelers. “The Minnesota Vikings were also in play for the former MVP, according to Marino, but ultimately, rather than start fresh at the age of 39, he opted for retirement as a ‘Dolphin for life.'”
🎥 Dan Marino says he considered leaving the Dolphins for a Super Bowl shot https://t.co/CKdeS2ZXL2 pic.twitter.com/9DknCIftuf
— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) September 17, 2022
Back in September 2022, Marino stated to USA Today’s MacKenzie Salmon in a sit-down interview that he wanted to keep playing after the Dolphins declined to exercise his contract for the 2000 season. Marino had multiple teams interested, leading to him strongly considering playing elsewhere.
One such place was back home in Pittsburgh.
“Minnesota was interested in me for what would have been my 18th season,” Marino said during his interview with USA Today in 2022. “The Pittsburgh Steelers talked to me. Those two were the main teams. Maybe go home and play for the Steelers for a couple of years, but it was one of those things where I’d already put my heart and soul into Miami, so I just figured it was time [to retire].”
Marino’s comments in 2022 weren’t all that surprising, considering there were rumors in 2000 that the Steelers were not only interested in Marino, but that the future Hall of Fame quarterback was considering returning home, too.
Entering the 2000 season, the Steelers were coming off of a 6-10 record in 1999 under head coach Bill Cowher, and had just hired Kevin Colbert as their new Director of Football Operations after moving on from Tom Donahoe. At the time, the Steelers appeared to be looking to replace Kordell Stewart.
Ultimately, the Steelers did replace Stewart in free agency, signing journeyman quarterback Kent Graham to a three-year, $5.1 million contract on Feb. 28, 2000. Graham ultimately won the starting job in training camp over Stewart, but then completely flopped.
Graham lost his starting job after only three games, passing for just 625 yards without a touchdown as the Steelers started 0-3. Ultimately, the Steelers finished the year 9-7 under Cowher, but the offense was poor overall, finishing 17th in points per game at just 20.1, squandering an elite-level defense that finished sixth in the league in points allowed per game at 15.5 under coordinator Tim Lewis.
It leaves many wondering what could have been if Marino would have signed with the Steelers ahead of the 2000 season. Maybe if he sticks around a few years and plays in that 2001 season, he possibly helps lead the Steelers to a Super Bowl, instead of the heartbreaking loss at the hands of the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship Game.
It’s a giant “what if” for not only Steelers fans, but the organization and Marino.
Elsewhere in Benjamin’s team-ups that never happened piece, Roethlisberger and the 49ers is highlighted, as the Steelers and 49ers allegedly had a trade agreed upon ahead of the 2010 season that then-head coach Mike Singletary ultimately nixed.
Roethlisberger remained a Steeler, rebuilt his character and reputation, then retired at the end of the 2021 season, putting a bow on a Hall of Fame career that will see him land in Canton in 2027.
