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| Ward leaping into the end zone after the Steeler's trick play in Super Bowl XL. |
According to multiple unnamed sources, the NFL Network has announced the Steelers do not plan on bringing back the veteran wideout for his 15th season. Ward, who is due $4 million in the final year of his contract, has played his entire career in Pittsburgh and epitomized the Steeler's blue-collar culture for the past decade and a half.
Ward has said numerous times he is willing to take a pay cut to remain with the only team he's ever known. But apparently that is not the problem with his productive diminishing each of the last two seasons.
The 35-year-old South Korean lost his starting job this season with the acquisition of Jerricho Cotchery. Ward caught 46 passes this season for 381 yards and two touchdowns, and with the offense heading a different direction, Ward's services may be no longer needed.
It was just two days ago Pittsburgh introduced former Kansas City Chiefs head coach Todd Haley as their next offensive coordinator. The decision came after Bruce Arians' contract expired and was hired to fill the same position in Indianapolis. A move that quarterback Ben Roethlisberger did not approve of. So, not only will Roethlisberger be losing his offensive game caller, but his favorite target over the first eight years of his career.
Playing his college ball as a Georgia Bulldog, Ward was selected by the Steelers in the third-round in 1998 NFL Draft, becoming a staple in the Pittsburgh huddle.
Ward's best season came in 2002 when he set career-highs in receptions (112), yards (1,329), yards per game (83.1) and TDs (12). But his biggest accomplishment came in, at the time, the biggest game of his career.
In Super Bowl XL, Ward caught a 43-yard touchdown pass from fellow wide receiver Antwaan Randle El with 6:04 left in the fourth quarter, giving the Steelers a 21-10 lead and sealing the franchise's fifth championship victory, this time over the Seattle Seahawks.
Ward finished the game with five catches for 123 yards and that one score. With that performance, he was named the game's Most Valuable Player, becoming the fifth receiver to do so and only the second in Steeler history. Hall of Famer Lynn Swann was the first, capturing the award in 1976 for his dominance in Super Bowl X.
Not only will Ward go down as one of the greatest blocking receivers in NFL history, but his ability to stay on the field in the world's most physical sport will live in Pittsburgh lore.
Possessed with a certain grit and toughness about him, Ward played in all 16 of the team's regular season games 10 of his 14 years with the organization, and never playing less than 13.
If in fact Ward has played in last game in black and gold then he leaves behind a remarkable legacy. A one point in his career, Ward had a streak of 186 consecutive games with at least one reception. It was broken in 2010.
This past season, Ward became the 19th player in NFL history to tally more than 12,000 receiving yards and only the eighth player to caught 1,000 passes. He apparently finishes his Pittsburgh career with exactly 1,000 receptions, 12,083 yards and 85 TDs. That doesn't include his postseason statistics.
The four-time Pro Bowler played in 18 career postseason games, catching 88 passes for 1,181 yards and 10 TDs. His 88 receptions rank second behind only Jerry Rice's 151.
However, in his most recent playoff game and what could be in final game as a Steeler, Ward was ineffective, being targeted on two plays, but did not record a catch in Pittsburgh's 29-23 overtime lost to the Denver Broncos.
Following that loss it was reported by multiple media outlets that Ward was in fact ready to call it a career, but he set the record straight on his Facebook page.
"Let me set the record straight: I have no plans on retiring right now, Ward wrote. I want to win another Super Bowl. I don't know where the media is getting this info from but rest assured that when I decide to retire , you'll hear it from ME first."
While it may be clear Ward wants to continue playing, the Steelers no longer want him.
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