Once the Steelers free up a considerable amount of cap space, are eight free agents who could reinvigorate the roster in the 2023 season. Pollard played most of his career at a time when the Steelers struggled. Harris played 980 offensive snaps during the regular season . The 32-year-old has yet to post a 1,000-yard season this decade, and judging by the fact he had only six rushing attempt last season, he's probably going to end the 2010s without one. Here's the final tally of Steelers Now's consensus preseason 2022 power rankings of AFC North running backs. Barkley was a huge reason why the Giants returned to the playoffs for the first time since 2016. Regular season. His entire career was with the Steelers and he would finish those six seasons with 1,512 yards and 18 touchdowns. Franco Harris is the Pittsburgh Steelers career leader in rushing yards with 11,950. Emmitt Smith leads with 18,365 yards and is also the postseason leader with 1,586. Pittsburgh Steelers Career Rushing Leaders. Without further ado, here are the best 25 NFL running backs of this decade: It will be surprising to some that Johnson isn't a little higher on this list. A dominant defense and an unstoppable running gamethats Steelers Football. Bill Dudley: Bullet Bill was his nickname and a great running back he was. Christian McCaffrey (2019) This past season, McCaffrey became the third running back in NFL history to generate over 1,000 rushing and receiving yards in a single season. All-time Rushing Leader: Franco Harris 2,881 att, 11,950 yds, 91 TD . 1. Year Top Defense. During recent years, he's become somewhat forgotten in Buffalo, but McCoy has both All-Pro seasons and multiple 1,000-yard campaigns to his credit this decade. He came to the Steelers after three seasons with the Rams which had earned him a reputation as a problem player. For the purposes of this article, I will be considering the following: Its tricky to piece it all together, but I think these are the best Steelers running backs of all time. As a rookie, on a terrible offense, he finished as a top 24 running back in 93% of his games last year. The last two seasons, with now-departed James Conner the No. Dudley also served his country during World War II as a member of the Army and played for that team while away from the NFL. Mendenhall spent five seasons in Pittsburgh and was a member of two Super Bowl teams. Eight players have been recognized as having held the career rushing yards record in the NFL. James Conner is at the forefront . He spent much of 2019 injured, and team injuries across the board made it difficult to judge his performance fairly. Both men had the unfortunate circumstance of being behind other great players on the roster, Franco Harris and Terry Bradshaw. Posted August 12, 2019 Which of these tight ends has left a lasting legacy in the city of Pittsburgh? Rashard Mendenhall only played five seasons with the Steelers but rushed for a respectable 3,549 yards in 57 games. In 2011 and 2013, he made All-Pro, and in 2013 he posted 2,146 yards from scrimmage. steelers running backs last 10 years He holds the team record for most rushing yards in a career (11,950) as well as most rushing touchdowns (91) and total touchdowns (100). Tackles. He has held the all-time rushing yards record since 2002 and is . As a Steeler, Famous Amos ran the ball 434 times for 1,698 yards and was a powerful running back at 205 pounds on a 58 frame. The Steelers will win 5 games this year, Canada will be fired, and Tomlin will "resign." . Bleier only ranks ninth in all-time rushing yards for the franchise, and he never made the Pro Bowl, but there is no denying the impact this gutsy running back had in winning four Steelers' Super Bowl championships. Williams recorded at least 730 rushing yards in a season four times during the 2010s, and he ended the decade with 4,246 rushing yards. Overall, Foster registered 6,270 rushing yards and 8,523 yards from scrimmage playing for the Texans and Dolphins from 2010-16. After a slow start (for a seventh overall draft pick from . Williams led the NFL in touchdowns last season with 17. He stepped in for a banged-up Willie Parker in 2009 and ran for 1,108 yards and seven touchdowns. Gurley has rushed for 4,547 rushing yards and recorded 6,430 yards from scrimmage with 56 touchdowns. MORE: 2023 Dynasty Rookie Rankings. Frequently Asked Questions about the NFL and Football, Pro-Football-Reference.com Blog and Articles, Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREE. It's a smaller sample size, but Elliott has also posted 131.2 yards from scrimmage per game in his three seasons. But there were bright spots, and Walter Abercrombie was one of them. He would play six seasons in Three Rivers Stadium when the Steelers were home and finish with 3,343 yards rushing. Gurley led the NFL in yards from scrimmage and won the Offensive Player of the Year award. It worked perfectly with the maulers he had in front of him in Pittsburgh as he has some Xbox like highlight reels to show for it. 20 and retired with that number despite the departure of Pearson to Dallas. Fran Rogel was also a local product having grown up in North Braddock, Pennsylvania. 12. But since then injuries have slowed him, and he's averaging 3.6 yards per attempt. From the time Fran Rogel became the teams starting running back in 1950 until his retirement in 1957, Pittsburghs first play from scrimmage in every game Rogel was in the backfield began with a handoff to the California State Teachers College and Penn State University product with a rush into the middle of the offensive line. The top photos of RB Le'Veon Bell throughout 2014 season. It's Le'Veon Bell because there is thought given to picking players who could function as a unit if the position require that. Since the merger in 1970, the Pittsburgh Steelers have rushed for more yards than any other team in the National Football League, and this commitment got two of their running backs elected to the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The phrase is often proclaimed by an announcer after a Steelers running back plows over a few unlucky defenders. Let us know your thoughts down in the comments!For Business Inquiries: insid. These quarterbacks have started at least one game for the Pittsburgh Steelers. In 1999 the Chiefs cut him and his life spiraled out of control with drug problems and jail time. Is the fullback truly gone, banished into the deep recesses of pro football history? Merril Hoge was a versatile fullback who could carry the ball, catch passes, and block. In 1944 he led Army to an undefeated record with 12 victories and was named the teams Most Valuable Player. West Virginia's Senate passed a bill Monday that would give $25,000 in tax credits to former residents who move back to the state to work. He ran for 5,378 yards while playing at Heinz Field. Do you have a sports website? He also made the Pro Bowl in 2013 and 2016, the last of which with the Titans. I could be wrong. Over the entire decade, he posted 6,417 rushing yards and 7,909 yards from scrimmage with the Titans, Jets and Cardinals from 2010-17. Both backs had to run well with the ball and have the skills to block for the other. Many NFL teams used a pro-style offense during the same period, and this was an age when the fullback was a vital ball carrier. A good scoring drive based on running plays eats up the clock and keeps the ball out of the hands of the other team's offense. Each offense makes its own set of demands on running backs, and every back mentioned in this article needed a specific set of attributes to succeed. He is currently a free agent and the third oldest running back in the NFL, as well as the second oldest active running back. In 1982, he was Pittsburghs first overall pick in the draft coming in at number 12. In both seasons, he made All-Pro. It is unfortunate, and I would guess I am not alone in wishing the Steelers would return to their roots and play power football again. But Harris and the Steelers' rushing attack were just getting started. But Hoak is probably best remembered for his ever-so-long tenure as the Running Backs coach with Chuck Noll and Bill Cowher. At 244 pounds, Morris was a load running behind the offensive line and his numbers backed up his train rushing efforts. Hunt offers some stability in the pass-game as he had 44 . I enjoy the passing game, and I love that Ben Roethlisberger has matured into an elite quarterback, but it is hard for me to imagine there is a better way to play football than Steelers Football. Since there are only 11 players on offense, the running backs have to be able to function as a unit, and Le'Veon Bell could play halfback to Bettis' fullback. but every NFL team has talented players. Dickerson was traded mid-season in 1987; he played three games for the Rams and nine for the Colts. NFL Top 10 Best Running Backs of the 2010s - #8 Arian Foster. Find out more. The Steelers have had several players enter the Pro Football Hall of Fame after being a part of the Pittsburghs ground game for most of or all of their entire careers. Beast Mode's freakish combination of power and finesse was unlike any running back that came before him. The 23-year-old was on his way to two straight special years to begin his NFL career before the Chiefs cut him following his involvement with a woman in a domestic dispute. RASHARD MENDENHALL came to the Steelers as a first-round pick in 2008, and after spending the bulk of his rookie season on the injured reserve list, he rushed for 3,309 yards on 812 carries (4.1 average) and 29 touchdowns from 2009-11. Use without license or authorization is expressly prohibited. His best season was in 1985 when he rushed for 991 yards. His teammate Terry Hanratty, the QB at Notre Dame during that tenure became a Steeler as well. They got a lot of carries in an era when both the fullback and halfback needed to contribute to the running game. 'We'll probably move a little slower than most of our peers, but we don't worry about the Jonses', 28-14 victory caps 7-2 finish, but season ends because Miami's win claims final playoff spot, 'He drinks the Kool-Aid that is Pittsburgh, Pa., he's a Steeler, he teaches it to the young guys', His 111 yards rushing, 10-yard catch for a TD, and physical presence throughout keyed 16-13 win, 'His versatility, his experience allows us to move him and Minkah to diversify our attack', 'The most challenging component of the weather, man, are the poor fans sitting in the stands', Dan Rooney: 'One of the finest, most thoughtful human beings I have ever known', 'I wanted to see Mitch's ability to bounce back from the last game relative to taking care of the ball', Three interceptions, blocked FG prove to be insurmountable mistakes in 16-14 defeat, 'You can take the energy out of an arena on the road when you do some of the things he does', The 19-16 victory represents first winning streak of season and is the third in last four games, The defense made some plays, such as Heyward's sack, but also allowed two 90-yard TD drives, 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers. But from 2010-17, Forte averaged 1,419 yards from scrimmage per season. He also posted at least 1,500 yards from scrimmage during 2013 and 2014 when the Seahawks went to two Super Bowls. With the 2019 season, there is still time to influence who lands where among a list of the best running backs of the decade. Parker ran for 1,200 yards or better in three straight seasons and led the Steelers to two Super Bowl wins. Pittsburgh Steelers Draft History. The 32-year-old has been a bit of a journeyman, playing for five different teams this decade. The concussion was so bad that Hoge had to learn to read again and suffered from memory loss as well as encountering headaches and confusion. Murray is another back who put together three strong seasons during his career and led the league in rushing once. Bell made three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro teams as a Steeler. Photos from the career of former Steelers running back and Hall of Fame finalist Jerome Bettis. In the second concussion he encountered, it resulted in Hoge having to be resuscitated when he stopped breathing. The Steelers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the American Football Conference (AFC) North division. In his first three seasons, Ingram ran for more than 600 yards in a season just once. Another big bruising back that also has surprising quickness, Bell at 244 pounds is turning into a super star in the NFL. Peterson then signed with the . Seasons: 90 (1933 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 666-585-23 Playoff Record: 36-27 Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances) Championships Won *: 6 . While one is considered a fullback and the other a halfback, they share more commonalities than differences in their duties. During his career, he's averaged 128.9 yards from scrimmage per game. Bettis was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2015. Insider insists Tom Brady could sign with 49ers in 2023, The 'Most recent first-round NFL quarterbacks' quiz, Seven Cubs pitchers combine for spring no-hitter vs. Padres, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones comments on Tony Pollard rumor, Ben Simmons suffers back injury while rehabilitating, Insider: It's Packers, Jets 'or bust' for Aaron Rodgers, QB Anthony Richardson doesn't understand his 'project' label, Vikings HC reveals 'crazy' thoughts about star WR, XFL player released for giving another team plays from own playbook. Rashard Mendenhall: Like Barry Foster before him, Rashard Mendenhall was done with professional football by the age of 26. Franco Harris was a fullback, as was Merril Hoge and John Henry Johnson. Conner responded with a Pro Bowl performance and gave Steeler Nation hope that hed become the next great Pittsburgh running back. Lucrative opportunities to leave. In 27 games Hunt has 2,151 rushing yards, 2,984 yards from scrimmage and 25 touchdowns. He'll continue to split time with Nick Chubb in the backfield, but the Browns are a run-first team that will use the talents of both. Watch our How-To Videos to Become a Stathead, Subscribe to Stathead and get access to more data than you can imagine. Vote below for who you think is the best Pittsburgh Steelers tight end of all time, then head over and check out the top Pittsburgh Steelers players ever. Allain died on February 21, 2023, following a . 1 1. Sproles has nearly as many receptions (460) as carries (516) since 2010, and he has 3,936 receiving yards. Born Byron Morris, drafted in the third round of the 1994 draft, Morris immediately made an impact with the Pittsburgh Steelers coming to them from Texas Tech University. Over the past 50 years, the Steelers have tallied 36 winning seasons . Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. LISTEN: Hounds, world soccer, PGA with Mike Grau, Steelers: Need for QB of the Future is More Apparent than Ever, Steelers: Defense Needs to Take Advantage of Inconsistent Bills Passing Attack, Steelers: Devlin Hodges Has Chance to Make Lasting Impression in Week 14, Steelers: James Washingtons Emergence Could Make Offense Dangerous. Dick Hoak: The running backs coach for the Steelers for an incredible 35 years, Hoak was also an excellent player at the position he would spend so many years coaching up. This led to fans chanting Hey Diddle Diddle, Rogel Up the Middle. There was just one occasion that the Steelers failed to use Rogel on the games first play. He started alongside Franco Harris in four Super Bowl victories and both backs ran for over 1,000 yards in 1976. But from 2015-16, he posted more than 1,000 rushing yards, 1,500 yards from scrimmage and at least 13 touchdowns each season. In his rookie season, Morris rushed for 836 yards and a 4.2 yards-per-carry average. Murray made the All-Pro team and Pro Bowl that year. In Super Bowl XXX when the Steelers lost to the Dallas Cowboys that many thought that Pittsburgh could have won if not for Neil ODonnells errant interceptions, Morris rushed for 73 yards on 19 carries and scored a touchdown. Do you have a blog? Some teams also used them as receivers, and fullbacks like Larry Centers made a living catching passes out of the backfield. By 1995, Foster was out of Pittsburgh and out of the NFL, thus ending his short, dramatic, and bizarre pro football career. Still, "CJ2K" comes in at No. The speedy running backs, the classic old power running back, and the mixed, well-rounded, good running back. After five seasons of never finishing higher than RB34, Williams had a career year in 2022, finishing as the overall RB18. In the last 10 years, 10 different backs have led the league in PPR scoring. Former season 27 " Dancing With the Stars " competitor John Schneider has returned to social media following the death of his wife, Alicia Allain. Player Team Age Total Value Avg./Year Total Guaranteed Fully Guaranteed Free Agency; Christian McCaffrey: 49ers: 27: $64,063,412: $16,015,853: $36,346,412: $30,062,500 Teams like the 49ers, Packers, and Chargers still have plenty of use for thembut many organizations dont carry a fullback on their roster at all. Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports. Near the end of an uneventful rookie season, he was drafted to fight in the Vietnam War. Not entirely. | Unfortunately, injuries have slowed him over the last couple of years and prevented him from running for more than 865 yards in a season. 2023 ABG-SI LLC. Walter Abercrombie: To this day, Abercrombie is Baylor Universitys all-time leading rusher with 3,674 yards while scoring 22 touchdowns. But you cant throw just any ball carrier out there and hope to have success; it takes a certain kind of player to fit into a power running offensive scheme. The former Titan had only 28 catches for 294 yards last year . . Most Steelers fans think of Rocky Bleier as Franco Harris running mate throughout the 70s, and rightly so. Emailed daily. That couldn't have been further from the truth. The Steelers haven't shied away from targeting lesser-valued positions by the modern standard early in recent drafts, such as running back, linebacker and maybe to a lesser degree, safety. LeVeon Bell made his mark with the Steelers running in this kind of offense. It's an inspiring story, but if Bleier wasn't one of the best running backs in Steelers' history, he wouldn't have made this list. Who the heck is this guy, we all wondered aloud, but in much more colorful language. In many ways, this style of offense is the polar opposite of the methods the Steelers used to win six Super Bowls. Fullback Franco Harris came to the Steelers in the 1972 draft and made an immediate impact. However, from 2010-14 he was the best all-purpose back in the league. He also was a punt returner, bringing back 20 punts with a 14.0 average per return. While the team continued to utilize the same rushing attack that had earned them four Lombardi Trophies in the '70s, the cast of characters and the results were not the same. Peterson missed all but one game in 2014 because of a child abuse case, but he returned to lead the NFL in rushing during 2015. 2. Mendenhall provided the following reason for retiring so young: Football was pretty cool, but I dont want to play anymore. By Ross Kelly and Tony Adame, updated on October 18, 2022. But twice he rushed for more than 1,400 yards, and as a rookie in 2012 Martin posted 1,926 yards from scrimmage. Really, he will just be doing what teams like the Steelers did for decades. As a Steeler, Bettis crashed his way for 10,571 rushing yards and 78 rushing touchdowns, both second-best in team history. Of course we are talking about the Immaculate Reception. Perhaps one of the most popular and beloved Steelers players of all-time, Bleier became famous before he ever established himself as Franco Harriss partner in crime based on his experiences in the Vietnam War. Subscribe to Stathead Football: Get your first month FREEYour All-Access Ticket to the Pro Football Reference Database. Charles may have to wait awhile to get into the Hall of Fame because despite an 11-year career, his prime was rather short. 1. By, Tom Rothenberg/Zuma Press/Icon Sportswire, This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google. I want to travel the world and write. If that wasnt strange enough, Mendenhall got himself into hot water in 2011 as a Steeler when he tweeted a controversial reaction to the United States elimination of Osama bin Laden. The number of games they started during the season is listed to the right of their name: These quarterbacks have the most starts for the Steelers in regular season games. If youve followed the Steelers, you've probably heard the term "Steelers Football." As a punter, he kicked the ball 18 times during his career and averaged 32 yards per punt. OTHERS TO CONSIDER Starting this list chronologically is as good a way as any. Johnson was a bruising fullback who spent time in San Francisco and Detroit before coming to Pittsburgh in 1960. In 1980, Thornton would average five yards-per-carry while carrying the rock 78 times. When a running back like Jerome Bettis, Franco Harris, or John Henry Johnson tramples linebackers and safeties all game, it grinds opponents down and destroys their will to compete. Ingram's best season came in 2017 when he posted 1,124 yards and 12 touchdowns. Seasons: 90 (1933 to 2022) Record (W-L-T): 666-585-23 Playoff Record: 36-27 Super Bowls Won: 6 (8 Appearances) Championships Won *: 6 . Dave Holcomb began working as a sports writer in 2013 after graduating from Syracuse University. More like he will get exposed yet again as being the most overrated running back in the league . Dick Hoak: The running backs coach for the Steelers for an incredible 35 years, Hoak was also an excellent player at the position he would spend so many years coaching up. He posted more than 1,900 yards from scrimmage twice, in 2010 and 2013. By his second season as a Steeler, he had become the heir apparent to Jerome Bettis. Foster made one attempt to come out of retirement with the Cincinnati Bengals that same year but after just a few days with the club he decided on retirement at the tender age of 26. SPORTS ILLUSTRATED is a registered trademark of ABG-SI LLC. In 2011 Jones-Drew led the league with 1,606 rushing yards and 386 touches. Weve reviewed the most popular quarterbacks to play for the Pittsburgh Steelers, but among those signal callers, who are some of the players they were handing the ball off to when not throwing the rock? Fuqua would have to be the most colorful player in Steelers history as well as the most controversial. In Pittsburgh, he was everything but. Jerome "The Bus" Bettis tops our list as the Steelers best running back of all time. Today he is 68 and still colorful. What those teams dont have is a legacy of bullying and dominating opponents, and that is what brought the Steelers six Super Bowl championships. Lists that rank the greatest players and coaches in the history of the NFL franchise. How an 8-year-old inspired Najee Harris' 5-TD performance vs. Ole Miss. During this decade, he earned two Pro Bowl nominations and an All-Pro bid. He made the Pro Bowl three times, from 2014-16. John Fuqua: How could any Steelers fan in the Nation of Black and Gold not smile when speaking of John Frenchy Fuqua. For years, the Pittsburgh Steelers were considered a team that dominated with the run. Including last season when Bell sat out because of a contract dispute, the two-time All-Pro has missed 34 games in his six-year career. Outside linebacker Joey Porter came to Pittsburgh in 1999. He has six 1,000-yard seasons and six Pro Bowl nominations with the Eagles and Bills during the 2010s. Yes, that was his average. But he stayed. As a Steelers, he was occasionally brilliant but more often disappointing. Barry Foster first came to the attention of Steeler Nation in 1990 when he treated a kickoff as a punt, stood aside, and watched the ball bounce along the ground until the opposing team recovered it. Rocky Bleier came to the Steelers in 1968. Fuqua led the Steelers in rushing in 1970 and 1971 and totaled 2,942 yards on the ground during his time in Pittsburgh. Let's take a look back at the rest of the Steelers picks since the 2000 season. TODAY: Running backs. Morris peaked as a rookie, rushing for 1,613 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2012. Le'Veon Bell was one of the best Steelers running backs of all time. Many argued that when Gore suffered a season-ending injury at the beginning of December in 2010, his best days were behind him. Morris signed with Baltimore Ravens where he lasted just two seasons before the Chicago Bears and Kansas City Chiefs took a chance on him in 1998. Many teams even rotate three or more backs throughout the game, with all getting an equal number of carries. Preston Pearson: Pearson wore Rocky Bleiers college number of 26 and was a solid football player who was a member of the Steelers first Super Bowl winning team in 1975 when they defeated the Minnesota Vikings 16-6 in Super Bowl IX. The Pittsburgh Steelers have a long history of smash-mouth football dating back to before they ever won their first Super Bowl. But it was his story of injury during the war that gave him notoriety at the start of his career. Having gone through a tough contract negotiation in 1995, the Steelers instead of trying to settle traded Foster over to the Carolina Panthers who then cut the running back in training camp due to a failed physical. Bill Dudley also played with the Detroit Lions and Washington Redskins after leaving the Steelers, and finished his career with 3,057 yards rushing, 1,383 yards receiving, punted the ball for a total of 7,304 yards, and on defense intercepted 23 passes.