Steelers All-Pro LB, James Harrison, Returns to Team after Threatening to Retire

One day after he was excused from practice by head coach Mike Tomlin, All-Pro linebacker from the Pittsburgh Steelers, James Harrison, returned to the team’s facility on Thursday, ESPN has confirmed. After Harrison was fined $75,000 for two violent hits he delivered in Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns, Tomlin felt the 2008 NFL Defensive Player of the Year needed time to cool off.

Before meeting with his head coach, Harrison appeared on Fox Sports Radio’s Into the Night with Tony Bruno and told guest host Judy McDonald, “I’m going to sit down and have a serious conversation with my coach tomorrow and see if I can actually play by NFL rules and still be effective. If not, I may have to give up playing football.”

Harrison was not penalized during Sunday’s game for the vicious hits he delivered to Browns wide receivers Josh Cribbs and Mohamed Massaquoi. However, the NFL fined him $25,000 more than Patriots safety Brandon Meriweather and Falcons cornerback Dunta Robinson – both of whom also delivered helmet-to-helmet tackles – since he was a repeat offender.

Other players such as Baltimore’s Ray Lewis and San Francisco’s Patrick Willis have complained about the league’s crackdown on vicious hits. “I thought as a defensive guy you’re supposed to hit,” Willis said, according to the Salt Lake Tribune.

“You shouldn’t get in trouble or fined or get a flag for just playing football. As a defensive player, it’s hard to play football now without worrying about the crazy stuff.”

Photo Source: Getty Images