There’s a long list of Steelers departures that never really worked out. But every now and then, Pittsburgh let one get away who went on to make the front office look twice.
That’s the thread running through five former Steelers whose careers took off after they left town. Some were buried on depth charts.
Some never got the targets or the role they needed. And one of them became one of the biggest “what ifs” in franchise history.
Mike Vrabel is one of the earliest examples. Most fans know him now as the embattled coach, but before that he put together a strong NFL career as a linebacker. He didn’t become a star in Pittsburgh, but once he moved on, he won three Super Bowls and became a legendary member of the Patriots franchise.
Emmanuel Sanders followed a different path, but the result was the same for Steelers fans: he got better after leaving. Playing alongside Antonio Brown and Mike Wallace meant he was often overlooked in the offense, and he never saw enough targets in Pittsburgh. Once he signed with Denver in free agency, Sanders became a focal point of the Broncos’ attack, put up strong numbers, and helped them win a Super Bowl.
Nate Washington also left after building a solid start in Pittsburgh. Signed as an undrafted free agent, he became a dependable option while sharing an offense with Hines Ward and Antwaan Randle El.
He won two Super Bowls with the Steelers, then departed in free agency. He didn’t add another championship elsewhere, but his production climbed after he left.
Javon Hargrave is another one fans still think about. He never got a huge role on defense in Pittsburgh, and with Cam Heyward and Stephon Tuitt in the mix, the path to more snaps never really opened up. After leaving as a free agent, Hargrave found the best stretch of his career, and he’s still producing at a high level.
Then there’s Johnny Unitas, the biggest “what if” on the list. The Steelers drafted him, but he was cut at training camp and ended up with the Baltimore Colts, where he built one of the greatest quarterback careers ever. The fact that he was from Pittsburgh only makes that miss sting more.
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