James Harrison was able to contribute down the stretch for the New England Patriots last year despite rapidly closing in on his 40th birthday, and he could almost certainly find a team to sign him this offseason at the right price. However, he has decided to leave football in the rearview.
Harrison announced in an Instagram post on Monday that he is retiring. He indicated that spending more time with his family played the biggest role in his decision.
“I’ve missed way too much for way too long…and I’m done,” Harrison wrote. “Many thanks to my family, coaches, the fans, and everyone who played a role in my football life.”
Harrison spent 13 of his 15 seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but his tenure with the team came to an ugly end last season when he was hardly getting any playing time and was eventually released. He then signed with the rival Patriots and ripped the Steelers with some harsh comments on more than one occasion.
For his career, Harrison totaled 84.5 sacks, 34 forced fumbles and 573 solo tackles. His best season came in 2008 when he had a whopping 16 sacks and seven forced fumbles, and he was one of the main reasons Pittsburgh won the Super Bowl that year.
