The Facts: The Steelers have announced they will release Ward. “We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year,” Steelers President Art Rooney II said.
Diehards Line:Ward was originally drafted by the Steelers in the third round of the 1998 NFL Draft out of Georgia. He spent 14 years in Pittsburgh and became the team’s all-time leader in receptions (1,000), receiving yards (12,083), receiving touchdowns (85) and 100-yard receiving games (29). Ward is the eighth player in NFL history to reach 1,000 career receptions and joined only Hall of Famer Jerry Rice as the only two players in league history to post 1,000 career catches and win multiple Super Bowls. Ward was the MVP of Super Bowl XL after leading the Steelers to a 21-10 victory over the Seattle Seahawks. He posted a game-high 123 receiving yards on five receptions with one touchdown. ... The next question is whether Ward will want to continue his career with another team. Stay tuned.