The Pittsburgh Steelers will soon part ways with long time wide receiver Hines Ward according to the team’s website.
Steelers president Art Rooney II told Steelers.com,
“We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year. Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998 and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve. He has meant so much to this organization, both on and off the field, and we appreciate his efforts over the past 14 years. Hines’ accomplishments are numerous, and he will always be thought of as one of the all-time great Steelers. We wish him nothing but the best.”
Ward, who had has exactly 1,000 career receptions, had been featured much less over the past two seasons in the Steelers’ offense, having just 59 and 46 receptions respectively in those seasons. To say that Steelers fans will miss Ward smiling after laying a big block on a defensive player is a massive understatement.
It appears that Ward may try to find a team in free agency, but he won’t command much money. He would make a lot of sense for a team looking to add a veteran with good hands and a knack for blocking down field, but he’s not likely to make a big splash.
Although Ward is now parting with the Steelers, it seems likely that he’ll eventually sign a one day contract, ending his career with the Pittsburgh Steelers as he should.
