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SPORTSWednesday 27 December 2017
Ex-Steelers star linebacker
Harrison signs with Patriots
In this Oct. 8, 2017 file photo, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker By ARNIE STAPLETON ture from Pittsburgh. signed a two-year deal
James Harrison walks the sidelines as his team plays against the AP Pro Football Writer The 39-year-old linebacker last spring that would have
Jacksonville Jaguars in an NFL football game in Pittsburgh. James Harrison is no longer posted a photo on Insta- kept him in Pittsburgh
the odd man out or the gram showing himself with through his 40th birthday.
Associated Press oldest man in the locker 40-year-old quarterback But Harrison’s playing time
room. Tom Brady in New Eng- dipped significantly this
The ex-Steelers star signed land’s locker room, writing season — he has just one
a one-year deal with the that he finally has “a team- sack. He was active in just
New England Patriots on mate that’s older than five games despite being
Tuesday, three days after me!” injury-free and with the
his unceremonious depar- The AFC North champion Steelers turning more to-
Steelers released the five- ward outside linebackers
time Pro Bowl linebacker Bud Dupree and rookie T.J.
and 2008 NFL defensive Watt.
player of the year on Sat- The Patriots have been thin
urday to make room for at defensive end and out-
right tackle Marcus Gilbert, side linebacker all season.
who is returning from a sus- New England, which won
pension for violating the the AFC East for a ninth
league’s performance-en- consecutive season, can
hancing substance policy. wrap up the AFC’s top
“We make the decisions seed with a win over the
we feel give us the very Jets this weekend or a loss
best chance to win,” Steel- by the Steelers, who host
ers coach Mike Tomlin said winless Cleveland.
Tuesday when asked why The Patriots and Steelers
the team didn’t release a are both 12-3 and have
different player to make wrapped up first-round
room for Gilbert. “We need- byes. New England owns
ed the people we kept. We the tiebreaker by virtue of
needed to activate Mar- its 27-24 win at Pittsburgh
cus Gilbert. Really, it’s noth- on Dec. 17.
ing more than that.” Harrison would get a
A day before, Tomlin had chance to face his former
said following Pittsburgh’s team if the Patriots and
34-6 win over Houston that Steelers meet in the confer-
clinched a first-round play- ence championship for a
off bye that difficult deci- rematch of last year’s title
sions such as this are “just game, which New England
life in football.” won 36-17 on its way to its
To make room on their ros- fifth Super Bowl title.
ter, the Patriots released Only Pittsburgh, with six,
linebacker Trevor Reilly. owns more Super Bowl
Harrison, who is the Steel- wins.q
ers’ career leader in sacks,
piling up 80½ during his 14
seasons with the Steelers
and 82½ during his career,
briefly retired in September
2014 following a forget-
table 2013 season in Cin-
cinnati but returned when
the Steelers ran into injury
trouble.
He collected at least five
sacks every season be-
tween 2014 and 2016 and
