Steelers’ Hines Ward willing to restructure contract

if they think a blocking WR4 is worth $4M then keep him. if not, its on Hines to make the decision to retire as a Steeler or play into obscurity somewhere else. I get the "team legend" aspect of it but its a business, not a popularity contest.

Dave D your talking out your #$%$ cause your mouth know's better. How about you get out on the field and see if you could handle him i #$%$ure you that you wouldn't get up smiling.

Eh, he's a bum anyway. Far and away the dirtiest player in the league since Rodney "Roid Rage" Harrison retired to hoe his row of watermelons. Ward is cheap shot artist, nothing more. All his catches have been wide open 5-10 yards down the field then cut out of bounds type catches. HOF my #$%$

How soon people forget how instrumental number 86 was to the steelers for so long,led the steelers in receiving every year for like a decade,outlasted all those first round pick wide recievers,troy edwards,plaxico,holmes.obviously father time gets every player but this player has earned a curtain call year.

I agree with the first comment. Especially in light of Saunders suspension. I could see Hines continuing his career after being a player as being on the coaching staff.

This is not about loyalty, this is about business. Hines is due $4mill next season and his production has dropped SIGNIFICANTLY over the past 2yrs. When you consider that A. Brown is due to make $490,000 next season and is coming off a Pro Bowl season, then the only way Hines can stay is if he agrees to play for a base of league minimum and hope for incentives. Truth be told, if he was still very productive, I could see the restructured deal, but he is not even good enough to be a 4th WR in their system. He is a great Steeler, but he is at the end of his career and you have to make room for the young talent the Steelers have. Wallace, Brown, Sanders and Crotchery (if he stays), means Hines would make too much money to ride the bench. His loyalty package was this past season. The Steelers paid him almost $5million for rookie numbers. You cant do that twice. Thanks Hines, but either you retire now or just play one season somewhere else and then retire. Because unfortunately, you are just not as talented as guys like Rice, Owens, Moss, Harrision and Bruce; who were all WRs that were extremely productive after they reached 33yrs. Hines can still play, but he is just not worth $500,000 per season as long as he is producing rookie draft pick production.

Pittsburgh would be stupid to let Hines go, he would definately take the league min. salary and they could use him in a role as a third TE, he definately block as good as one, and definately has the hands and speed as one, remember TE aren't the fastest in the leauge. It would be stupid to let go a teammate that is a great teacher to our other receivers and one of the best motivators on the team. He deserves to stay here one more year, he's earned it, remember he is the all time best receiver in Steeler history. The Franchise says it models itself as one of closely nitted teams, they need to show it and do the right thing, KEEP HINES ONE MORE YEAR! He's earned it, they owe him.

This is not how you show your appreciation for one of the best and dedicated steelers ever. Let him have one more year at a reduced pay and then the following year offer him a job as recievers coach. If not someday you will be looking across the field at the Browns,Bengals or Ravens and you will see him doing that job haunting you. Wake up ROONEY'S and realize whay you got ' GO HINES #86 ONE OF THE GREATEST STEELERS EVER"

This is the same situation the Packers are in with Donald Driver...they are both legends to their teams and fan favorites. The leadership and other intangibles these guys provide for their teams just cannot be replaced.