Maurkice Pouncey officially announces his retirement along with twin brother Mike

The Pittsburgh Steelers 2010 first round draft pick Maurkice Pouncey has announced his retirement from the NFL. As part of the announcement, his twin brother Mike also announced his official retirement through Maurkice’s former teammate Ramon Foster.

Maurkice Pouncey was a nine-time Pro Bowler and two time first team All-Pro selection. The only seasons Pouncey did not make the Pro Bowl was in 2013 when he was injured on the first drive of the season and was lost for the year, and in 2015 when his season-ending injury occurred in the preseason.

The announcement of Pouncey’s retirement very well could trigger other decisions by other players, mainly Ben Roethlisberger. Roethlisberger and Pouncey have long been connected as a center and quarterback, and both said they would play as long as the other was still going strong. This will certainly be tested with Roethlisberger left with still one year left on his current contract.

The once strong, and close knit, offensive line could look completely different in 2021. With Pouncey gone, it leaves just David DeCastro as the only player under contract for the upcoming season. Matt Feiler and Alejandro Villanueva are pending free agents, with Kevin Dotson and Chukwuma Okorafor as the returning members of the 2020 offensive line.

Pouncey stepping away from the game also has a huge ripple effect in the team’s offseason needs. Now the team has the center position move up quickly on the offseason needs, and they will likely look to add to the position in either free agency, the 2021 NFL Draft, or both.

Be sure to stay tuned to BTSC for the latest news and notes on the Steelers as they prepare for the new league year, NFL Free Agency and the 2021 NFL Draft.