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No. Nein. Nyet. The Steelers don't want James Harrison back. They don't want him. Don't need him, apparently.
That message has been filtered out through media groups ever since Harrison's agent, Bill Parise, sent a message through that same media he'd be amenable to a return to the place where Harrison saw so many glorious performances.
They do not want James Harrison. Not now, likely not in the future. So what does that mean for Harrison?
First, his agent is highly unlikely to receive another client, and hopefully he doesn't want one. And during the same time Parise isn't signing new clients, Harrison will languish. With the big rush of free agency over, and teams having either spent their money or simply choosing to wait until minicamp, and the Achilles and ACL injuries we read about each year begin happening (heaven forbid).
Then, maybe then, in unfortunate circumstances, Harrison can pick up with someone else. It just won't be Pittsburgh.
The thought here was Harrison could get a one or two year deal in free agency for a bit less than what he was scheduled to make in free agency. He's unlikely to reach that mark now, but it's not impossible.
It just is in Pittsburgh. Comforting to know a player was offered a 30 percent paycut to stay in Pittsburgh when 31 other teams won't sign him for considerably less than that.