Steelers cornerback Ike Taylor had a rocky 2014 season, missing two months with a broken forearm and not playing particularly well before or after he returned to the lineup.
Taylor’s turning 35 in May, which would lead to questions about whether he’d return to the team even if he wasn’t set to become a free agent in a couple of months. With all of that working against him, it’s fair to wonder if Taylor will be playing at all in 2015.
“I am very cool with this being my last year,” Taylor said, via the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “As far as putting the cleats up, I have years left. I have a lot of years left. I am not ready to make that final decision, but I am cool hanging my cleats up if it comes to it.”
Whether Taylor is playing or not in 2015, he said that he wants to remain in the Steelers organization.
“As far as the Steelers organization, it doesn’t have to be with the cleats anymore,” Taylor said. “I can be in the office. I can be at the bottom and work my way up. I can be an assistant. I don’t mind working my way from the bottom up.”
Things said immediately after the end of the season can often be forgotten when it comes time to actually make decisions, but Taylor’s 2014 suggests that it isn’t a bad time for the two-time Super Bowl winner to start considering off-field career options.