James Harrison is expected to be back with the Pittsburgh Steelers, only three weeks after officially retiring, in the wake of injuries to two starting linebackers, ESPN's Adam Schefter reports.
Harrison is scheduled to meet with Steelers coaches Tuesday. The five-time Pro Bowler tweeted early Monday night that he was interested in returning.
I'll give it one more year! https://t.co/58xFfQaAfr
— James Harrison (@jharrison9292) September 22, 2014
Harrison, 36, was a key cog on the two Super Bowl winning Steelers teams of 2006 and 2009. After playing one season with the Cincinnati Bengals, Harrison announced his retirement through social media late last month.
However, after second-year linebacker Jarvis Jones and rookie first-round pick Ryan Shazier went down with injures in Sunday's win against the Carolina Panthers, Pittsburgh is looking for some help at the linebacker position. Harrison is expected to sign with the team shortly after his meeting with coaches.
Jones was placed on the injured reserve/designated to return list, meaning he'll miss at least eight games with a dislocated wrist. Shazier suffered a sprained knee that is expected to sideline him for a few weeks.
"It's really family here, and I wanted to come back and finish it off where it started," Harrison said earlier this month.
Harrison's return would signify a motion for peace between the player and franchise, after the two couldn't agree on a pay cut in 2013 leading Harrison to Cincinnati.
Harrison went undrafted in 2002 yet went on to have a sterling career in Pittsburgh that included four All-Pro honors and being named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2008. For his career, Harrison has 647 total tackles and 66 sacks.
The Steelers (2-1) host the Tampa Bay Buccaneers this Sunday.
