Behind the Steel Curtain
The Steelers had multiple legends make the team of top stars from the last 25 years
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had no shortage of superstars over the last 25 years. This collection of talent has led to three Super Bowl appearances, two championships, and the second-most wins in the NFL since 2000, trailing only the New England Patriots.
Seth Walder and Aaron Schatz of ESPN put together a 53-man roster collecting the best players since the turn of the century, and two Steelers made the team. On offense, guard Alan Faneca was named the starting left guard.
“A stalwart at left guard for the Steelers before late-career spells with the Jets and Cardinals, Faneca missed only one game from 2000 on — and that was due to rest in a meaningless Week 17 contest in 2001,” Walder writes. “His six first-team All-Pro selections are more than any other left guard this quarter century.”
On the defensive side, Troy Polamalu is the team’s starting strong safety.
“Polamalu flying all over the field epitomized what NFL teams began prioritizing with modern safeties,” Schatz writes. “He is fifth among safeties with 103 passes defensed since 2000. He also had 80 run stops (tackles to stop runs short of a successful play), which is third among all defensive backs since 2000.”
Patrick Peterson also made the team, but his best days were spent with the Arizona Cardinals.
In addition, Schatz added in a post on X that Casey Hampton was one of several players that were heavily debated on making the team, but just missed out.
Several notable Steelers were left off the team, however, which will certainly spark a bit of conversation and debate in the coming days.
