Ranking the 25 greatest players in Steelers history: Terry Bradshaw, Ben Roethlisberger among the legends

Since 1972, no NFL team has been as consistently good as the Pittsburgh Steelers. In the 1970s, the Steelers were so dominant that NFL Films narrator John Facenda once stated, “There are 27 teams in the National Football League, and then, there are the Pittsburgh Steelers.”

From 1974-79, the Steelers won four Super Bowls in a six-year span, a feat that has yet to be matched. Pittsburgh has since won two more Super Bowls along with four more AFC titles.

Last season, the Steelers passed the Cowboys for the most consecutive seasons (22) without a losing record. Pittsburgh hasn’t had a losing season since 2003 and never posted a losing record under former head coach Mike Tomlin.

Obviously, the Steelers have benefited from having great players over the years. Pittsburgh currently has a whopping 32 players in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, while 52 former players have been enshrined into the Steelers Hall of Honor.

With their 94th season on the horizon, let’s rank the top 25 players in Steelers history, a list that includes a slew of NFL legends.

** denotes a player who is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame 

Honorable mention: Kevin Greene, OLB (1993-95)

Greene made a significant impact during his brief tenure in Pittsburgh. A member of the team’s inaugural Hall of Honor class, Greene chose to be inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame as a Steeler despite playing the majority of his career with the Rams.

Pittsburgh’s first big acquisition in the free agency era, Greene helped usher in Pittsburgh’s “Blitzburgh” era during the 1990s. Greene was part of an imposing group of linebackers that also included Greg Lloyd, Jason Gildon, Levon Kirkland and Chad Brown.

During his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Greene recorded 35.5 sacks, including a league-high 14 sacks in 1994. His play in 1995 helped the Steelers capture their first AFC title since 1979.

25. Cam Heyward, DT (2011-present)   

Heyward has put together a career that will surely receive Hall of Fame consideration someday. A seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Heyward has recorded at least seven sacks in a season on seven occasions, an impressive feat for an interior defensive lineman. His 12 sacks in 2017 remain the franchise single-season record for an interior defensive lineman.

Heyward is second behind only teammate T.J. Watt on the Steelers’ career sack list. He’s eight sacks away from becoming the 47th player in NFL history to reach 100 career sacks.

24. Maurkice Pouncey, C (2010-20)

How good was Pouncey? He was named to the Pro Bowl in each of his nine healthy seasons. He also received two All-Pro nods and was named to the 2010s All-Decade Team.

Pouncey’s ability to overcome injuries is a significant part of his story in Pittsburgh. In 2014, he earned his second All-Pro selection a year after tearing his ACL and MCL in Pittsburgh’s season opener. Pouncey returned to his Pro Bowl form in 2016 after missing the entire 2015 season with a broken fibula suffered during the preseason.

Pouncey was part of a talented Steelers offensive line that helped Pittsburgh’s offense finish in the top 10 in scoring each season from 2016-18.

23. Andy Russell, LB (1963, 1964-1976)

One of the few players from the 1960s who was also a part of Pittsburgh’s first two championship teams, Russell earned six straight Pro Bowl selections from 1970-75 while serving a key role on Pittsburgh’s Steel Curtain defense. He also served as a mentor for Jack Ham and Jack Lambert, who would go on to have Hall of Fame careers.

Russell also held the record for the longest fumble return in NFL history for 47 years. His 93-yard fumble return for a score against the Colts in the 1975 playoffs stood as the record until Bengals defensive end Sam Hubbard returned a fumble 98 yards for a score during the 2022 playoffs.

22. Antonio Brown, WR (2010-18)

While his time in Pittsburgh ended on a sour note, Brown’s nine seasons with the Steelers were dominant. Brown performed at an all-time level from 2013-18. Over that span, he averaged 114 receptions, 1,525 receiving yards and 12 touchdown catches per season.

Brown holds the franchise record for most catches in a season (136), most receiving yards in a season (1,834), most touchdown catches in a season (15) and the most receiving yards in a single game (284 in a win over the Raiders during the 2015 season). He is second to Hines Ward in franchise history in receptions (837), receiving yards (11,207) and touchdown catches (74).

Brown authored two of the most memorable plays in recent Steelers history: his helmet catch that helped the Steelers defeat the Ravens in the 2010 playoffs and his “Immaculate Extension” against Baltimore on Christmas Day 2016 that clinched the AFC North title for Pittsburgh.

21. James Harrison, LB (2002, 2004-2017) 

Harrison put fear into opposing offenses (quarterbacks, to be more specific) throughout his time in Pittsburgh. The former undrafted rookie was the NFL’s premier pass rusher from 2007-11 after spending the first several years of his career as a backup.

In 2008, Harrison put together one of the greatest seasons ever seen by a defensive player. He won Defensive Player of the Year honors before returning an interception 100 yards for a score during Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl win over the Cardinals.

Harrison stood as the franchise’s career sack leader until former teammate T.J. Watt surpassed him in 2023.

20. L.C. Greenwood, DE (1969-1981)

A six-time Pro Bowler, four-time Super Bowl champion and member of the NFL’s 1970s All-Decade Team, Greenwood was the franchise’s all-time sack leader until Jason Gildon broke his record in 2003. Greenwood’s four sacks in Super Bowl X remain a Super Bowl record.

In Super Bowl IX, the rangy Greenwood deflected three of Fran Tarkenton’s passes, one of which was intercepted by Joe Greene, Greenwood’s longtime teammate.

19. Hines Ward, WR (1998-2011)

A two-time Super Bowl champion and the MVP of Super Bowl XL, Ward retired as the franchise’s all-time leader in catches, yards and touchdowns. He is just one of seven wide receivers in NFL history with at least 1,000 career catches, 12,000 receiving yards and 85 touchdowns. Ward is also regarded as arguably the greatest blocking wideout of all time.

Along with his regular-season success, Ward is one of the most productive postseason wideouts in history. He’s tied for fifth in playoff history in touchdown receptions (10), tied for seventh in receptions (88) and 10th in receiving yards (1,181).

18. Alan Faneca, LG (1998-2007)**

One of the best interior offensive linemen of his era, Faneca earned nine consecutive Pro Bowl nods during his Hall of Fame career, with seven of those selections coming with the Steelers. A model of consistency, Faneca missed just one game during his final eight seasons in Pittsburgh.

Faneca’s crushing block that springboarded Willie Parker’s 75-yard touchdown run in Super Bowl XL has gone down in both Steelers and Super Bowl lore.

17. Donnie Shell, S (1974-1987)**

The franchise’s second all-time leader with 51 interceptions, Shell, nicknamed “The Torpedo,” won four Super Bowls while earning five straight Pro Bowl selections.

Like former teammate (and fellow member of Pittsburgh’s famed 1974 rookie class) John Stallworth, Shell continued to excel well into Pittsburgh’s post-dynasty years. He picked off seven passes for the overachieving 1984 Steelers and in 1986 became the first strong safety to record 50 career interceptions.

16. Dermontti Dawson, C (1988-2000)**

A member of the Hall of Fame, Dawson was widely considered the greatest center of his era. The anchor of Pittsburgh’s offensive line for more than a decade, Dawson earned seven straight Pro Bowl selections from 1992-98. He played a pivotal role in Jerome Bettis’ early success in Pittsburgh.

15. T.J. Watt (2017-present) 

Watt will surely receive a gold jacket and bronze bust shortly after his career is over.

An eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro, Watt won 2021 Defensive Player of the Year honors after tying Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22.5 sacks. His 115 sacks since the start of the 2017 season are the second-most in the NFL over that span. He is the first Steelers player to record more than 100 career sacks.

14. John Stallworth, WR (1974-1987)**

Stallworth retired as the franchise’s career leader in catches, yards and touchdowns. He caught six passes for 236 yards and three touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s final two Super Bowl wins of the 1970s. His two big catches late in Super Bowl XIV, including his game-winning, 73-yard catch, sealed the Steelers’ victory over the Rams.

In 1984, the 32-year-old Stallworth was named Comeback Player of the Year after setting then-Steelers records with 80 receptions for 1,395 yards. He caught four passes for 111 yards and two scores in Pittsburgh’s AFC title game loss to Miami, the final playoff game of his illustrious career.

13. Lynn Swann, WR (1974-1982)**

As graceful as any receiver in league history, Swann used his unique athleticism to his advantage, especially in the Super Bowl. Swann is second all-time with 364 career receiving yards in Super Bowl competition. He earned Super Bowl X MVP honors after catching four passes for 161 yards and a score.

Swann had seven grabs for 124 yards, including the game-winning score, in Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl XIII win over Dallas. A year later, Swann leapt into the air to snare a 47-yard touchdown catch early in the second half of Pittsburgh’s eventual Super Bowl win over the Rams.

12. Jack Ham, LB (1971-1982)**

Tony Dungy once called Ham the greatest outside linebacker he ever saw. An All-Pro each season from 1974-79, Ham retired with four Super Bowl rings and a whopping 32 interceptions, unheard of for a linebacker. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1988, his first year of eligibility.

11. Mike Webster, C (1974-1987)**

“Iron” Mike followed the tradition of great Steelers centers that was initially established by Ray Mansfield, who started during Pittsburgh’s first Super Bowl victory before passing the torch to Webster, who was a rookie on the Steelers’ first championship team.

Over the next 14 years, Webster earned nine Pro Bowl selections (including eight straight from 1978-85) and five All-Pro nods while becoming one of the greatest offensive linemen in NFL history. Webster, who played in a then-franchise-record 220 games, continued a legacy that would later be followed by Dawson and Pouncey.

10. Rod Woodson, CB (1987-1996)**

Woodson, whom Bill Cowher once stated was the greatest player he coached during his 15 seasons in Pittsburgh, was a dominant force at cornerback as well as a return man during his 10-year run with the Steelers.

The league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1993, Woodson earned seven of his 11 career Pro Bowl selections during his time with the Steelers. Despite suffering a major knee injury in Week 1 of the 1995 season, Woodson became the first professional athlete to undergo major knee surgery and return to play that same season, starting for Pittsburgh while containing Hall of Fame receiver Michael Irvin throughout Super Bowl XXX.

9. Jerome Bettis, RB (1996-2005)**

Few athletes have had a connection with a city like the one Bettis and Pittsburgh have enjoyed over the past 28 years. An immediate fan favorite, Bettis remained revered in Pittsburgh for both his Steelers career as well as his continued work with the community. It also helps that “The Bus” has one of the most famous nicknames in pro sports history.

A 1,000-yard rusher in each of his first six seasons in Pittsburgh, Bettis was still a force late in his career, earning Pro Bowl honors in 2004 at age 32 while helping the Steelers win a franchise-record 15 regular-season games.

The eighth-leading rusher in NFL history, Bettis’ 1997 season is arguably the best single-season rushing campaign in franchise history. That season, Bettis rushed for 1,665 yards despite sitting out the final game of the regular season. He tallied 10 100-yard rushing performances, including 125 yards in a Week 15 win over the eventual Super Bowl champion Denver Broncos.

Bettis’ 101-yard, two-touchdown performance in Pittsburgh’s Week 14 win over the Chicago Bears in 2005 (which included his iconic collision with Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher) jumpstarted the Steelers’ eight-game winning streak that ended with Bettis hoisting the Vince Lombardi Trophy in his hometown of Detroit.

8. Troy Polamalu, S (2003-2014)**

An eight-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro, Troy Polamalu is not only regarded as one of the greatest safeties of his era, he is often mentioned as one of the greatest safeties of all time.

A unique athlete, Polamalu was the exclamation point to a Pittsburgh defense that was routinely one of the NFL’s most dominant groups during the 2000s. The league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, Polamalu’s play helped the Steelers win two Super Bowls and three AFC titles during a six-year span.

While he made many memorable plays during his career, Polamalu is most remembered for his game-clinching interception return for a score in Pittsburgh’s victory over Baltimore in the 2008 AFC Championship Game.

7. Mel Blount, CB (1970-1983)**

The team’s all-time leader with 57 career interceptions, Blount was so good that the NFL changed the rules in 1978, limiting the amount of contact a defensive back could have with a receiver beyond five yards.

The rule, known in the years since as the Mel Blount Rule, was supposed to slow Blount and the Steelers down. Instead, the physically intimidating Blount earned yet another Pro Bowl selection that season while Pittsburgh won a league-high 14 games en route to its third Super Bowl in a five-year span. In that year’s Super Bowl, Blount recorded a key interception that set up Pittsburgh’s go-ahead score.

Blount, a first-ballot Hall of Famer, was named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1975.

6. Jack Lambert, LB (1974-1984)**

Lambert was the physical embodiment of Steelers football during the 1970s. A man who once stated, “Give me a six-pack and let’s go play ’em again,” Lambert brought a physical and intimidating edge to a Pittsburgh defense that was already pretty frightening heading into the 1974 season. But with Lambert in the lineup, the Steelers’ defense became arguably the greatest unit in NFL history.

In Super Bowl X, Lambert’s throw-down of Cowboys safety Cliff Harris turned the game’s momentum in Pittsburgh’s favor. Lambert backed up his actions by recording 14 tackles in Pittsburgh’s four-point win. Later that year, he would earn Defensive Player of the Year honors before serving as a key member of the Steelers’ final two Super Bowl teams of the decade.

In Super Bowl XIV, Lambert recorded a key interception late in the game that set up Harris’ game-clinching touchdown.

5. Ben Roethlisberger, QB (2004-2021) 

“Big Ben” was the cornerstone behind the Steelers’ last two Super Bowl wins. The franchise’s all-time leader in passing attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns and wins by a starting quarterback, Roethlisberger became the youngest starting quarterback to win a Super Bowl after helping lead the Steelers to victory in Super Bowl XL. He also became the first starting quarterback to win three road playoff games in the same postseason.

In Super Bowl XLIII, Roethlisberger’s last-minute, game-winning touchdown pass to Santonio Holmes helped deliver a sixth Vince Lombardi Trophy to Pittsburgh.

In the 2010s, Roethlisberger added a third Super Bowl appearance, four more Pro Bowls and a league passing title to his resume. He retired after the 2021 season ranked in the top 10 all-time in career passing yards, passing touchdowns and wins by a starting quarterback.

4. Terry Bradshaw, QB (1970-1983)**

Bradshaw overcame a slow start to his career to become the first quarterback to win four Super Bowls. He also became the second player to win two Super Bowl MVP awards while throwing for a combined 627 yards and six touchdowns in Pittsburgh’s wins in Super Bowls XIII and XIV.

The league’s MVP in 1978, Bradshaw threw a touchdown in the fourth quarter in each of Pittsburgh’s Super Bowl victories during the 1970s. In Super Bowl X, his 64-yard touchdown pass to Swann capped the Steelers’ 21-17 win over Dallas.

Three years later, Bradshaw put together one of the greatest performances in Super Bowl history, throwing for a then-Super Bowl-record 318 yards and four touchdowns in a 35-31 win over Dallas. In Super Bowl XIV, his 73- and 45-yard fourth-quarter completions to Stallworth capped Pittsburgh’s 31-19 victory over the Los Angeles Rams.

3. Franco Harris, RB (1972-1983)**

Harris took Pittsburgh by storm during his magical 1972 rookie season that ended with his “Immaculate Reception” in Pittsburgh’s playoff victory over Oakland. Harris’ success continued throughout the decade, earning nine consecutive Pro Bowl honors while leaving the ’70s as the third-leading rusher in NFL history.

A first-ballot member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, Harris remains the Super Bowl’s career rushing leader with 354 yards. His 158 yards in Super Bowl IX earned him MVP honors while leading the Steelers to a 16-6 victory. His 22-yard touchdown run late in Super Bowl XIII helped the Steelers defeat the Cowboys for the second time in Super Bowl competition. Harris’ two touchdowns and 112 all-purpose yards a year later helped the Steelers beat the gritty Rams in Super Bowl XIV.

Harris’ death at age 72 occurred days before the Steelers retired his No. 32 during a halftime ceremony amid Pittsburgh’s win over the Raiders on Christmas Eve 2022.

2. Ernie Stautner, DL (1950-1963)**

The best player during the Steelers’ pre-championship era, Stautner was a diamond in the rough for the majority of his 14-year career. A nine-time Pro Bowler, Stautner helped Pittsburgh establish its long-standing identity as a physical, defense-oriented team.

He never won a title, but Stautner did enjoy some team success late in his career, as the 1962 Steelers went 9-5 to record the franchise’s best season to that point. 

A year after he retired, the Steelers gave Stautner the ultimate honor by retiring his No. 70. Exactly 50 years later, the Steelers made Greene the second player to have his jersey retired by the franchise.

1. Joe Greene, DT (1969-1981)**

The first player Chuck Noll selected after becoming the Steelers head coach, Greene’s play on the field and unyielding drive to become a champion helped fuel Pittsburgh’s success throughout its dynasty run.

The league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 1972 and again in 1974, Greene spearheaded Pittsburgh’s legendary “Steel Curtain” defense that held the mighty Oakland Raiders to just 29 rushing yards in the ’74 AFC Championship Game and the Minnesota Vikings to 17 rushing yards in Super Bowl IX, Pittsburgh’s first of four Super Bowl wins during the decade. In Super Bowl IX, Greene recorded an interception and a fumble recovery while ending the Steelers’ 42-year championship drought.

The following season, Greene suffered a pinched nerve in his neck that would hamper him during the final seven years of his career. Despite the injury, Greene still earned four more Pro Bowl selections while playing a key role on three more Super Bowl-winning teams.

Greene later won two more Super Bowls with the franchise as a member of the team’s scouting department. His No. 75 jersey was retired by the club in 2014.