Steelers want Troy Polamalu to retire so they won’t have to cut him

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It appears that the Troy Polamalu era in Pittsburgh is coming to an end.

While nobody in the Steel City and beyond wants to see the praised super safety get cut and finish his career in colors other than black and gold, the aging veteran comes with a hefty price tag that the Steelers likely won't pay. Pittsburgh fans can rest easy, though, as Polamalu will probably follow in the footsteps of Hines Ward and retire as a Steeler after experiencing a nearly identical situation that the former Steelers wide receiver faced in 2012.

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Ed Bouchette of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette told KDKA-FM on Tuesday that the team is hoping Polamalu will retire before the Steelers have to release him.

“That is the elephant in the room,” Bouchette said. “I expect him not to be here by some means. The Steelers are hoping he would retire, but I don’t know if he is going to.”

According to Bouchette, it’s “90 percent he’s not gonna be back.”

Ian Rapoport later reported on Wednesday that the Steelers don't plan to bring Polamalu back next season, leaving his exit strategy in question. Following the Steelers' loss to the Ravens in the wild-card round in January, Polamalu contemplated his retirement, simply saying "time will tell." If Polamalu does choose to play, however, he could follow his former defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau to Tennessee for one last season if finishing his career in Pittsburgh isn't an option.

“Troy is still determining whether he wants to retire or try and play in 2015,” Marvin Demoff, Polamalu's agent, told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review. “We will make a decision fairly soon, but (it is) not imminent.”

Polamalu, who turns 34 in April, was selected by the Steelers as the 16th overall pick of the 2003 NFL Draft and has anchored the Steelers' defense for more than a decade. During his 12-year career, Polamalu was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2010, selected for the Pro Bowl eight times and a member of the Steelers' championship teams in Super Bowl XL and XLIII.

The Steelers' salary cap currently sits at about $9 million since the team released wide receiver Lance Moore and passed on the opportunity to franchise tag linebacker Jason Worilds. While the Steelers are in a relatively good position and don't have to cut Polamalu, they would save $3.75 million on their salary cap without him on the roster.

Other veteran Steelers facing the axe include defensive ends Brett Keisel and Cam Thomas, who bring a cap hit of $1.5 million and $2 million, respectively.

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