Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Michael Vick (2): Kirby Lee – USA TODAY Sports
The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most popular franchises in the NFL. With six Super Bowl championships and superstar leads out there, it’s always exciting to see star players taking a shot in black and yellow.
The Pittsburgh Steelers may be the second most popular franchise in the NFL. It actually shows the eclectic nature of the league played by the most popular franchise in Dallas, Texas and the second most popular in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Steelers have the numbers to back it up. The franchise has six Super Bowls on record, and is tied with the New England Patriots for the most in the league.
Winning six Super Bowls makes your franchise coveted. This would lead to superstar players moving to the Steelers late in their careers. It happened a lot. Looking back, it’s not unusual to see these players in a Steelers jersey.
On occasion, these players have taken on backup roles in Pittsburgh. Other times, they come in trying to be the “last piece” on the Super Bowl roster. I worked sometimes and let others down. One still very odd today was at the quarterback position.
These NFL legends established their legacy elsewhere but had brief stints with the Steelers:
3. Michael Vick
Everyone remembers when Michael Vick went to the Philadelphia Eagles after a stint in prison for dog fighting. He took over the starting job from the legendary Donovan McNabb (well, technically from Kevin Kolb), and got his career back on track. Vic might have been named MVP runner-up in 2010, but Tom Brady won the award unanimously.
Eventually Vic loses his first job to Nick Foles, and goes to the Jets. Then he signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Vick signed with the Steelers very late in training camp in 2015. The signing caused a backlash due to Vick’s criminal past. Even owner Art Rooney II had to go on TV to defend the signing. Vick ended up playing when Ben Roethlisberger was injured. He didn’t go on with you either. He was injured a few weeks later, and spent the rest of his time on the roster either recovering or inactive.
Vick retired after the season, ending one of the most exciting careers in league history. His time with the Steelers was forgettable. However, we will always remember that this is where he ended his career.
