Polamalu Sounds Like He Wants To Stay A Steeler; What Will The Team Do?

Steelers safety and two-time Super Bowl winner Troy Polamalu sounds like a man that wants to stay with the black and gold, and it’s sounding more and more like it will be the up to the Steelers if he does.

Polamalu and the Steelers are going to have a tough chat after the season, much like the team did with James Harrison at the end of 2012, and it’s likely that the safety will be asked to take a pay cut to stay with the team.

“I’ll honor my contract with the Steelers,” Polamalu said to ESPN.com Friday. “That’s what I hope to do, but we’ll see how everything bears out after this game.”

Sunday against the Browns at home could be Polamalu’s final home game and game period with the Steelers if the team doesn’t bring him back or he doesn’t want to take a pay cut.

It’s very unlikely that the team is going to be able to afford to pay Troy, the 2010 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the $8.25 million that he is owed for the 2014 season.

He’s 33 years old, and while he’s been on the field the whole season in 2013, the defense has still had its issues with giving up big plays and with an 8-8 record approaching with a win Sunday, it’ll probably be the second straight season the team misses the postseason.

Last season Polamalu missed 9 games with injuries, but has been on the field all season and says he feels good.

“I feel great,” Polamalu said. “I honestly feel better than I did at the end of last year even with the games that I missed.”