After the Steelers drafted linebacker T.J. Watt in round one, they immediately parked him behind veteran linebacker James Harrison. After Watt played in only one preseason game, they immediately moved him ahead of Harrison.
Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reports that the Steelers will start both Watt and Bud Dupree on the outside, with James Harrison relegated to understudy status.
More accurately, he’ll become a “relief pitcher.” And as a relief pitcher, James Harrison will be slightly more intimidating than La Flama Blanca. But the real question is whether the Steelers will ever have to go to the bullpen.
“We have two guys who are first-rounders, we drafted them for this,” outside linebackers coach Joey Porter said, via Bouchett. “Now you have to turn them loose and let them play. . . .
“Now it’ll be 48 [Dupree] and 90 [Watt], and they’ll just play until they’re tired. And when they get tired, somebody will come and relieve them. But it won’t be, ‘This is your series and this is the next one’s series.’ We don’t have to do that. . . . It’s like when [LaMarr] Woodley and Harrison were in their heyday, there was no reason to pull them off. When me and [Jason] Gildon were out here, there was no reason to pull us off.”
Let those words sink in a bit. And then ask yourself what the means for Harrison.
Here’s what it likely means: Barring injury, you won’t be seeing much of Harrison this year. Based on how he reacts to that news, it’s impossible at this point to conclusively presume the 39-year-old Harrison will even be on the team.