Four Steelers Now Eligible For Hall of Fame Class of 2027
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Four Steelers Now Eligible For Hall of Fame Class of 2027
INDIANAPOLIS, IN - NOVEMBER 24: Pittsburgh Steelers Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (7) and Pittsburgh Steelers Wide Receiver Antonio Brown (84) walk onto the field during an NFL football game between the Pittsburg Steelers and the Indianapolis Colts on November 24, 2016, at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis IN.The Pittsburg Steelers defeated the Indianapolis Colts 28-7. (Photo by Jeffrey Brown/Icon Sportswire)
Aaron Becker·Steelers Now
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4 min read
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Four former players of thePittsburgh Steelerscould be etched into football immortality in 2027.
The NFL announced itsPro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2026during the the NFL Honors ceremony ahead of Super Bowl LX on Thursday night. However, without any representation from the Pittsburgh Steelers, fans are setting their sights onto 2027, which could heavily represent the black and gold.
It's hard to argue against Roethlisberger being a first-ballot Hall of Famer. The No. 11 overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft spent all 18 years of his NFL career with the Steelers.
During that span, he threw for 64,088 yards and 418 touchdowns, both of whichrank top 10 all time. He also led the Steelers to three Super Bowls, winning two (XL and XLIII), while being named the 2004 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year and to six Pro Bowls.
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Roethlisberger holds the NFL records for most career 500-yard passing games (four), completions in a game (47), wins in a season by a rookie quarterback (13) and games with a perfect passer rating (four).
February 5, 2006; Detroit, MI, USA; NFL FOOTBALL: Pittsburgh's head coach Bill Cowher grabs his QB Ben Roethlisberger in the final three minutes during a time out during the second half of Super Bowl XL (40) between the Seattle Seahawks (NFC) and the Pittsburgh Steelers (AFC) at Ford Field.***** USA SALES ONLY – NO AGENTS – USA SALES ONLY – NO AGENTS *****
The other two members of the "Killer B's" — Brown and Bell — also have strong cases as arguably the best players at their positions during the primes.
Brown began his NFL career as a sixth-round pick (No. 195 overall) in the 2010 NFL Draft and went on to have a truly dominant career, amassing 928 catches for 12,291 yards and 83 touchdowns during a 12-year span.
From 2013-18, Brown never had less than 101 catches and 1,284 yards in a season, putting him on pace with some of the league's all-time greats.
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Unfortunately, his time with the Steelers came to an end following the 2018 season as he went on to spend time with the Oakland Raiders,New England PatriotsandTampa Bay Buccaneers. He was never able to have the same production as he did in Pittsburgh, though.
Brown was a four-time first-team All-Pro, seven-time Pro Bowler, two-time NFL receptions leader, two-time NFL receiving yards leader and Super Bowl LV champion.
Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown on Jan. 8, 2019. — Ed Thompson / Steelers Now
Like Brown, Bell was never the same player after he left the Steelers in 2019, but his production as a runner and pass catcher was unmatched in the league at the time.
From 2013-17, Bell rushed for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns and recorded 312 catches for 2,660 yards and seven more scores. The former second-round pick was a two-time first-team All-Pro and three-time Pro Bowler.
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Lastly is Haden, who spent the least time of his professional career with the Steelers. Still, he had a true impact when wearing the black and gold, registering 238 tackles, one sack, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, 54 passes defensed, 10 interceptions and one touchdown from 2017-21.
Haden began his career as the No. 7 overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft by theCleveland Browns. A three-time Pro Bowler, Haden finished his career with 615 tackles, three sacks, seven forced fumbles, six fumble recoveries, 154 passes defensed, 29 interceptions and two touchdowns.
