BREAKING NEWS: Longtime Steelers linebacker James Harrison retires
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Longtime Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker James Harrison is taking a second crack at retirement.
The five-time Pro Bowler and 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year announced on Instagram early Monday that he is stepping away from the game following a 15-year career.
Harrison, who turns 40 next month, posted a collage of pictures of his two sons and noted he’s “missed way too much for way too long … and I’m done.”
Harrison played nearly his entire career with the Steelers and the 84.5 sacks he collected while wearing black-and-gold are a franchise record. He spent the 2013 season in Cincinnati and signed with New England late last season, appearing in all three playoff games for the Patriots, including their Super Bowl loss to Philadelphia.
This is the second time Harrison has called it quits. He retired briefly in September 2014 only to be lured back to the Steelers. He remained productive into his late 30s, registering at least five sacks from 2014-16.
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