Getty ImagesAt age 35, Hines Ward is probably getting close to the end of his career. But Ward says he needs to be sure he’s had his fill of the game before he’s ready to retire.
Ward told Jim Rome that he won’t be the guy who announces his retirement hastily, only to change his mind and try to come back.
“I don’t want to walk away from the game and sit there and say I still miss it,” Ward said. “I don’t want to do a Brett Favre or something. When I walk away I want to be completely walked away from it, say I gave it all I got, I miss being around the guys but I don’t miss the game anymore.”
Prior to the Super Bowl, Ward was talking about retirement, and hinting that he’d love to have a Super Bowl victory as his last NFL game, the way his friend and former teammate Jerome Bettis did. After the Steelers lost to the Packers, Ward is still saying he needs another ring before he’ll quit playing.
“I want one more. I want one more,” Ward told Rome. “To win three Super Bowls, man, only a small few guys can say that. I’ve been blessed to play in three Super Bowls, I’ve won two.”
Ward has been surpassed by Mike Wallace as the Steelers’ No. 1 wide receiver, but he says he still views himself as an important part of the Steelers’ offense, and he doesn’t expect to quit as long as that’s the case.
“I’ll walk away from the game when I know I can’t play anymore,” Ward said. “There’s still a lot of football left in me.”
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Oh boy, here comes another player looking for attention. Win some games son, then start chatting.
I just want to see this cheap shot artist get demolished by Jarret Johnson again… best blocking wide receiver my ass, VJ blocks twice as well, he just doesn’t take cheap shots, hell DHB in Scroteland is a better blocker.
He wont leave the game until he can’t get up the speed to cheap shot somebody.
It’ll be a happy day when the dancing drunk does throw in the towel
The way the Steelers have been drafting O-linemen, he might have a few more years left if he switches positions.
Oh boy, here comes another player looking for attention. Win some games son, then start chatting.
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That’s funny considering he’s got 2 Super Bowl rings and a Super Bowl MVP award. Maybe you should STFU about sports until you’ve actually accomplished something in that venue.
I love the Ward/Steelers haters who are butthurt because he laid out some of your supposedly “tough” defenders.
I see a bunch of Ravens fans here that are tired and bitter about the way Ward has punked their team for so long.
31-25.Go Pack Go!
Okay ladies! Let’s bring on the envy-driven, vitriolic cry-baby ‘hater’ comments. It’s the most entertaining part of these stories!!
Overrated!!!!!!!!!!!!
I dig the envy from the previous posters whose teams have obviously won nothing lately, or ever.
Yes, girls, Ward takes cheap shots, and you’d love him had he helped your teams win a few rings.
It’s a contact sport, and you ladies need to start a gardening or knitting club so your delicate feminine sensibilities won’t be offended at the sight of men hurting each other.
Unfortunetly – Hines has been playing like he’s been retired for 3 years now – so noone gives a rip.
Hines is best off riding off into the sunset instead of trying to link himself to a hall of fame player – who he is in no position to even hold his jock strap.
Skoobyfl…. Wtf are you talking about?
I hope Hines knows that “doing a Brett Favre” now has multiple meanings.
My wife wishes I would stop “doing a Brett Favre”….getting drunk and sending pictures of my crooked penis to her hot friends (and some of her not so hot friends).
You’re good, Hines. It won’t be time to retire until the haters no longer worry enough to make idiotic comments whenever your name is mentioned
GO STEELERS!!!!
@skoobyfl
I think he has won a lot of games. And don’t the Steelers have a winning record? And does calling a 35 year old man “son” make you feel like you have some authority over him?
please lord don’t! then come back and attack rodgers. haha.. fav-re is jealous! shove it brett! kiss rodgers ass. ha yeah lets see rodgers in a sex texting scandal…ain’t gonna happen. ha.
The Steelers are in decline. He better not count on that 3rd ring while remaining in Pittsburgh.
Ward, you’re a good player. But let’s not kid ourselves here. You would not be afforded the luxury of going out like Favre did.
legend.
Skoobyfl….
Do some research and then talk …. I believe winning 2 superbowls and going to 3, pretty much constitutes winning some games.
This is Hines Ward, not Joe Flacco…. son.
This smiling clown will probably get to the hall before T.O. and Moss. What a joke! Look at his numbers he’s not even in the same universe especially numbers that matter. TDS and YARDS.Don’t give me your superbowl rings crap either.No one ever game planned for Hines Ward except to look out for a hit no one saw coming!
Ahh here comes the jealous and envious ratbird fans with their usual whines.
Hall of fame! Old but still a beast he proved that last week!
Dude doesn’t even practice anymore. Listed as “not injury related.” Translation: Methusela gets pooped if you work him too much. I predict he’s done after 2012. Lots of guys still “owe” him, so he’d better not linger like Butkus did or they’ll be popping him like Jiffy Pop.
Well, if he starts emailing pictures of his junk we’ll know he tried not to do a Favre and failed.
What do Hines Ward and Jenn Sterger have in comment? They’ve both vowed not to do a Brett Favre.
All-Pro cheap shot artist…cha-cha your way right on out the door.
We don’t care, Ward is an idiot and just needs to go away.
Nobody likes Hines Ward. He’s old and slow like the whole team
Maybe MIke Wallace can be the Pitt Diva now.
I guess this didnt sit well with 7thlombardiontheway
by now, he would have told us how great of a receiver ward is at 35.
Hines ward is the second best playoff wide receiver in NFL history. Can’t wait to hear his hof speech
Isn’t Hines Ward that guy from that dancing show my grandma watches???
7 receptions and 2 TD’s last week, yeah he’s definetly over the hill.
You don’t have to worry about doing a Brett Favre, hines. You couldn’t carry his athletic supporter.
Three words for ya: Hall of Famer!
Spoken from a True Hall A Famer. Hang around Hines you’ll get that 3rd Superbowl Ring,
In other words: Now that I’m old, drunk, slow and the league has outlawed my cheapshots there’s nothing to get me on the news so I’ll make some stupid comment about retirement!
Brett Favre at least earned the right to do what he did, Hines is the most overated receiver out there but since he plays for the steelers he’ll probably get in the hall just like the overated Lynn Swan.
This just goes to show what a joke Favre has become and how far he tarnished his legacy. Congrats you diva!
His retirement could be sooner than we think. His production drop off has been noticeable this year. Five games and less than 200 yards receiving. Only 1 catch over 20 yards and doesn’t practice anymore. Looks like this will be his last year. The Steelers won’t be able to afford his salary next year with Brown and Wallace being their best two guys anyway.
Hopefully no one has an open bar at his retirement partay.
samvonschamm says:
Oct 13, 2011 7:15 PM
I dig the envy from the previous posters whose teams have obviously won nothing lately, or ever.
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I have no envy of Hines – wouldn’t want him on my team. Last thing Then again when it’s my team that’s beating him in the SuperBowl last year – you’d be happy too with the receivers as well.
While he’s doing marginally better than Donald Diver (1 more yard per catch) he’s thousands of miles behind him for class, so while he may be a Steeler, he’d be hard pressed to crack the top 5 in Green Bay.
Hall of Famer.
hes fat now
@teal379 … What in the hell are you talking about? Thousands of miles behind Driver for class? Do you freaking realize what Ward has done for bi-racial Korean kids in Korea? The guy has given/raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the plight of those kids. he has paid for many of them to come to the United States.
Everybody that hates him does so because of the hits he has put on “their” players. If he has spent as many years in GB as he did in Pittsburgh, all youPacker fans would be pumping him up just like you did Favre until he joined the Vikings. All of you Packer fans loved that hillbilly for years and years and he is no different today than he ever was.
Gimme a break. Lord, I don’t know what is worse on this site … the general hatred/jealousy or the stupidity.
A lot of haters here but the guy can play. Has never been afraid to get hit or give one. He can block, how many receivers can do this. The Steelers were lucky to have got him to play in their system. With his stats and Super Bowl ring he should be in the HOF especially when most of his catches were during a running period of the Steelers.
One of the great attributes of a leader and great player is to accept a lesser role as your career winds down. Hines doesn’t complain about his touches or his younger more athletic teammates. He’s just happy to be a part of the team. He is absolutely right that he is still an important part of the offense, just not the most important part. And he never was the main guy. He’s just played his role, whatever it was, and played it well. Hines is the man.
fancyleague says:
Oct 13, 2011 7:11 PM
I see a bunch of Ravens fans here that are tired and bitter about the way Ward has punked their team for so long.
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Gay-ven fans are tired and bitter at the fact that they live in Baltimore. I don’t care out the Steelers, but everyone knows they are the little brother who will never beat up big brother. They are sad.
well….looks like we are stuck with dirty hiney if he is going to wait aroound until he wins another super bowl.
In response Carve says ” It took Ward to long to win a ring”
Like him or not, Hines Ward is going to the Hall of Fame. Have some damn respect.
Ummm… How many 1000+ yards seasons has he had? Not too bad for being essentially a #2 guy all his career!
All you Ravens fans want to do is hate him cause he busted y’all for how many years?
Ravens will get taken down at Heinz to set up a duel for the AFC North. If they keep calling plays like they did last week (when Ben was hurt) they will be unstoppable. But if Ben gets back to his old ways maybe not so much
207 games, 900+ Receptions, for 12,000 yds. Not mentioning his rushing stats. 2 Super Bowl rings and known for being a clutch player. I am nowhere near being a Steeler (Frankly I despise them) but, You gotta love this guy and his talent.. If he were on my team I would love it! Do I root against him? Sure!! Do I respect him and what he has done? You bet your ass! Has he cheap shotted? Of course!! But his stats outweigh anything else he has done on the field. Please Hines dont stay around and make us all feel sorry for another great player who doesnt know when or How to go out on top. Good luck until you retire, Play in good health, leave it all on the field. I hated the way you burned my team over the years but, Man you are fun to watch!!
Still kicking myself for drafting Wines Hard as my 5th receiver this year. Too old and fat – needs to hang it up.
He’s still a valuable possession receiver. When the game is on the line, he does whatever he has to do . . . block or get open for a reception. He compliments Mike Wallace and with Sanders and Brown there too, their receiving corps is will thrive.
I hate the Steelers.
By the way, apparently beating the Titans gets you back on track for the superbowl
Not going out like Brett Favre meaning:
1- Adored and worshipped by football’s #1 fans
2-Breaking more records than Ward’s dance-offs
3-And to repeat”BREAKING RECORDS not the law
teal379 says: Oct 13, 2011 8:03 PM
samvonschamm says:
Oct 13, 2011 7:15 PM
I dig the envy from the previous posters whose teams have obviously won nothing lately, or ever.
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I have no envy of Hines – wouldn’t want him on my team. Last thing Then again when it’s my team that’s beating him in the SuperBowl last year – you’d be happy too with the receivers as well.
While he’s doing marginally better than Donald Diver (1 more yard per catch) he’s thousands of miles behind him for class, so while he may be a Steeler, he’d be hard pressed to crack the top 5 in Green Bay.
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Please. Who the hell cares about Donald Driver or the Packers? Before last year, the Packers had won one SB over the course of almost four and a half decades, which is basically the textbook definition of irrelevance, and now you people pop up in any unrelated thread that comes anywhere near your vicinity. No one cares.
Lol The Steelers Fans Are Hurtin From That Ravens Whippin’ You Can Tell By The Comments lmao
“Whew!” says Jenn Sterger
I got no dog in the Steelers hunt, but I remember that Jerome Bettis helped the Steelers win a Superbowl, even though he was no longer the #1 RB.
If a veteran has enough ego strength to play alongside a young gun who’s better, good things can happen…
steeler envy in full force as usual.
Oh look, a lame duck piece of crap worthless Crimeburgh Criminal player who’s over the hill and irrelevant is trying to get attention. Maybe he should drunk drive off a bridge or into the path of a Semi.
Hang it up twinkle toes! The four-letter network needs another analyst.
NO steeler fan is hurting by one measly opening day loss. Yawn…. Hurting is when you get knocked out of the playoffs twice in the past 3 years by your superior division rivals. Of course that would be the steelers knocking out the ravens. Now, that would be Hurting. The Ravens will always play second fiddle to Pittsburgh.
Let me see….
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@samvonschamm
I love Ward AND I love watching men hurt themselves!!!
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@j972
It’s not a case of “could” or “couldn’t,” it’s “would” or “wouldn’t.” You would, Hines wouldn’t.
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Those of you male-types who played football at some point……didn’t they teach you something about “keeping your head on a swivel?” Yeah. Hines gives as good as he gets, deal with it, pansies.
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You whiners have no idea of the integrity of the relationship between the Steelers ownership and its players. Hines will leave on his own terms.
Go choke on your berger cookies, cravenfans.
bwaredware says: “Still kicking myself for drafting Wines Hard as my 5th receiver this year. Too old and fat – needs to hang it up.”
Okay, you’re a fantasy creep. Fantasy. Hines Ward is flesh and blood. He’s not some idea or a bunch of Madden pixels. He’s on his way out but what he’s done over his career is real, not numbers on your stupid monitor.
I hate fantasy creeps.
I have never seen Hines Ward except on Dancing with the Stars. Are you saying he still plays football? I watch the Ravens every Sunday. I thought he retired long ago. He must be hard to see because he blends in with all the other OLD Steelers.
Hines should definitely be in Dancing with Stars Hall of Fame.
Well some may call him a cheap shot artist but I say he just knocks people out. Just payback for the shots he’s taken over the middle. Steeler Nation!!!
Good thing for us… if he did want to come back in a year or two or three nobody would want to sign a 37 or whatever wide reciever anyway…well maybe the vikings.
Well Hines is not good enough to play until he’s forty…………so he will never have a choice to play or retire @ 39 or 40. The Steelers or the NFL will choose for him.
Oh, brother…
What a diva. Now wonder everyone outside Pittsburgh calls him “Whines Hard”…
Lot’s of comments about Ravens fans being haters on here. I believe there were about 3 comments from them, most of the hater comments are coming from Green Bay fans. Steeler lovers you should know not everyone hates your team. We just don’t like it when you don’t know what you’re talking about.
Let me get this straight, defensive players can hit hard and cheap, but offensive players can’t? Hines proves what goes around, comes around.
Too bad other WRs don’t have his team first attitude. Hines gets as excited on a good hit on defender during a running play as he is scoring a touchdown.
I hope Hines gets a few good hits on Ray Lewis before he retires and takes Lewis with him.
Yeah getting straight up owned by Jarret Johnson will do that
EveryOne talks about Hine’s blind side blocks YET when their team or another does it on say …a kick return. It’s all good. Idiots. Never cheap shotted anyone cry babies
Hines is a future HOF player, a complete football player with a great attitude. He has had a great career as a WR, and has been an absolute beast as a blocker, something most WR’s are not.
Glad he is a Steeler. There seems to be a lot of jealousy from others that Hines did not play for your team. But I am not surprised so many took the time to make a comment and showed they can’t be objective when discussing the obvious football talent of a great player like Hines.
wtf2812 says:
Do you freaking realize what Ward has done for bi-racial Korean kids in Korea? The guy has given/raised hundreds of thousands of dollars…
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Here’s a rich man spending money he doesn’t need trying to buy a good reputation. Whines should have just played clean and take cabs when he’s drunk. Being a good role model is cheaper and lasts longer.
@gmen1987
I hope Hines gets a few good hits on Ray Lewis before he retires and takes Lewis with him.
You mean the ones when he hits Ray from behind in the lower back, when Ray is in no position to make a play? Those tough plays?
As usual, another classy Stooler fan.
You guys are the most small-minded, petty, disturbed individuals I’ve ever encountered in my life. How NBC managed to hire you for these jobs I’ll never know. But when you move on from these internships to real organizations where you’ll be expected to use your brains, don’t expect it to be so cushy.
i think have team records in receiving which better numbers than two current steelers hall of fame receivers makes the point. enough said!!
@pskotte …
Hines has been a good role model throughout most of his career. His work with Korean children has been the result of his own difficult childhood growing up biracial. And somehow I doubt you troll the blogs slamming other rich players for contributing to their communities. I’m not excusing his DUI. It’s inexcusable, and yes, he should have gotten a cab. But I’m not so perfect I can damn him for one screw-up. I’m just thankful no one was hurt. Otherwise, he’s been an asset to the team and the community. But thank you for your concern
I’ve been thinking about it for a while now, and have come to the conclusion that reading the banter of the trolls gives me as much entertainment as anything else on this site. Especially when i see the same ones frequenting steeler stories- no matter the context. Without them there would just be intellectual statistic comparisons. Boring to some like myself. I can get stats from a number of sites but i choose PFT for the witty jabs. So i humbly ask the moderators, please don’t censor. And if you do, choose to do so wisely. Thanks!