10. Antonio Brown
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This inclusion may draw the ire of Pittsburgh fans. AB is getting mentioned as a top-10 Steelers player all-time over the likes of Mel Blount, Hines Ward, Jack Butler, Jack Ham, Lynn Swann, and others. Let’s put aside the social media strangeness Brown operates with on X for a second. Purely as a player, he was one of the most dominant players of the last half-century at his position. Brown was a First-team All-Pro four-straight seasons from 2014-17. He led the league in catches and receiving yards on two separate occasions. Brown notched seven 1,000-yard seasons with the franchise. This included a 2015 season in which he caught 136 passes for 1,834 yards and 10 TDs. The numbers don’t even do justice to how gifted of a football player Brown was.
9. Jerome Bettis
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The Bus was a highly unique back. With a gigantic upper body and ballerina-esque feet, it was astounding to see Bettis run the football. He’d dance out of situations nobody his size had any business doing. Naturally, Bettis would also plow over linebackers, corners, safeties, and defensive ends as if they were practice dummies. From 1996-05, Bettis represented the Steelers as one of their most popular players. He accrued 78 TDs over this time. This also included six straight 1,000-yard seasons and four Pro Bowl appearances.
8. Franco Harris
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Harris was Pennsylvania personified through and through. He starred at Penn State before embarking on a fantastic career with Pittsburgh. A tough and agile runner, Harris made nine straight Pro Bowls from 1972-90. He was an All-NFL selection on three separate occasions. Most importantly, Harris helped the Steelers win four Super Bowls. He was even the MVP of Super Bowl IX.
7. Terry Bradshaw
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The affable media personality is arguably the most popular Steelers player ever. His statistical numbers might not scream “elite player”, though his ability to win at the highest level certainly does. Bradshaw was the architect behind four Super Bowl wins. In two of those games, he was the Super Bowl MVP. The three-time Pro Bowler also led the league in touchdown passes on two separate occasions.
6. Alan Faneca
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Faneca was tough as nails. Leading the offensive line for over a decade in the Steel City, he was a true technician with his hand placement. Faneca wasn’t the biggest guy in the world, though his athleticism shone on plays when he pulled and got to the second level. The former LSU star played for three NFL teams (Pittsburgh, New York, Arizona) — though the prime of his career came with the Steelers. He went through a stretch where Faneca was a First-team All-Pro selection six times in seven years. He made nine straight Pro Bowls and was widely considered among the best guards in the league over the last 30 years. It’s not surprising to learn Faneca was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2021.
5. Jack Lambert
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Pittsburgh’s defensive unit throughout the 1970s was elite. It wasn’t only physical and effective, but it was downright intimidating. The ringleader of the bunch was Lambert. He set the tone in the heart of the defense as the middle linebacker. A member of four Super Bowl-winning teams, Lambert was a six-time First-team All-Pro and a nine-time Pro Bowl selection. The physicality he demonstrated, coupled with his ability to effectively diagnose plays, makes him among the best in his position.
4. Troy Polamalu
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Polamalu was as recognizable by the way he played the game as he was by the cascading locks flowing out of his helmet. He was a one-man wrecking crew — and could turn the game on its proverbial head by his aggressiveness. Polamalu was as good of a blitzing safety as we’ve seen to date. His ability to read the play and react accordingly was special. A physical and violent player, Polamalu was excellent at creating turnovers. While not exactly known as someone excelling in coverage, he was more than good enough in this capacity as well. If you’re looking for a guy who played bigger than his stature would indicate, Polamalu is the quintessential example of this premise.
3. Ben Roethlisberger
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Despite being drafted in the first round 20 years ago, no one expected Ben Roethlisberger to have the career he achieved. The six-time Pro Bowler routinely had the Steelers in the postseason hunt. He led the league twice in passing yards, and — as of August 2024 — is No. 5 all-time in the history of the NFL in career passing yards (64,088). Roethlisberger’s hulking stature made him nearly impossible to bring down in the pocket. He also had better athleticism than given credit for. In total, he led Pittsburgh to two Super Bowl victories.
2. Rod Woodson
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When constructing the perfect defense, ideally it would be comprised of versatile athletes. When said athletes can perform at a Hall of Fame level, you’ll always be in the hunt to win a Super Bowl. Rod Woodson exemplified this archetype of player brilliantly. He was a ballhawk in the secondary as both a corner and a safety. A perennial Pro Bowler, Woodson was recognized — among his many personal accolades — as the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 1993. His ability to function as a leader was special, and there’s no doubt he’s among the best to ever play the game hailing from the secondary.
1. Joe Greene
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The Steel Curtain moniker spoke to the elite defensive front Pittsburgh fielded during its four Super Bowl wins in the 1970s. The leader of this group was none other than Greene. He controlled everything up front in a dominant fashion at defensive tackle. He was ferocious with his physical nature — though also a graceful athlete for a man of his size. Every trait one could come up with for the perfect defensive lineman existed in Greene’s game. The 10-time Pro Bowler was recognized on eight separate occasions as an All-Pro selection. He’s one of the few from 50+ years ago that would be a force in the modern game today.
