PITTSBURGH — One of the Steelers' unquestioned team leaders, a captain for the past three years, veteran center Maurkice Pouncey is retiring. Pouncey, who made nine Pro Bowls and five All-Pro teams since being the franchise's first-round draft pick in 2010, announced the news Friday morning via social media.
The Post-Gazette reported Jan. 24 that Pouncey had already told teammates he was likely calling it a career. Friday, he bowed out together with his twin, Mike, a center for the Los Angeles Chargers.
"I'll always love the game of football & always will be the ultimate competitor in life," read part of Maurkice's lengthy retirement message. "I'm just not in love with the sacrifice football carries on my life, my beautiful daughters Jayda, Marley & my family!"
Pouncey's retirement will save the Steelers $8 million in 2021 and count for $6,475,000 in dead money on their salary cap, according to overthecap.com. He turns 32 in July and was entering the final season of a three-year deal signed in 2019.
It seemed the writing was on the wall when Pouncey took an inordinate amount of time to sit on the bench in the aftermath of the Steelers' playoff loss to the Cleveland Browns at Heinz Field in January. That final game was not his finest, beginning with an errant snap over Ben Roethlisberger's head that was recovered by the Browns for a touchdown on the first play from scrimmage.
But Pouncey's finale was preceded by many stellar snaps, games, blocks and victories. From Mike Webster to Dermontti Dawson, the Steelers have long valued finding a reliable center, and with the 18th overall pick 11 years ago they found a fiery player to solidify their offensive line for more than a decade. A strong but agile lineman, he was picked for the Pro Bowl in every season in which he played more than one game, and only Joe Green has more selections in Steelers history with 10. His credentials might even land him in the Pro Football Hall of Fame someday.
"Pouncey's resume speaks for itself. I'll always remember him for his leadership," Steelers right guard David DeCastro, another first-round pick two years later who flanked Pouncey for the past nine years, said to the Post-Gazette. "His commitment and passion for the game was unmatched. He set the standard every day and made it easy to follow."
DeCastro doesn't have social media, but plenty of others poured out their love and support for Pouncey, who also fought through several injuries to start all 134 games he ever played. His lofty draft status paid off immediately, with Pouncey becoming the first Steelers offensive lineman in 10 years to start his first game. He started all 16 as a rookie for a Steelers team that nearly won it all.
But the 6-foot-4, 304-pound Pouncey injured his ankle against the Jets in the AFC championship game and missed Super Bowl XLV, a loss to the Packers. The Steelers haven't been back since then, and Pouncey never will.
Pouncey did make waves along the way. No center in NFL history had been selected for the Pro Bowl in his first three seasons until he came along. He might've made it four if not for a season-ending knee injury in the 2013 opener. Pouncey bounced back the following year to be a first-team All-Pro for the second time, then did it again in 2016 after missing all of the 2015 campaign with another leg injury from the preseason.
"A great player and an even better teammate! Your commitment to the game is something I always admired!" Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt tweeted. "Congratulations on a hell of a career! Enjoy retirement Pounce!"
Coming into the league, Pouncey had been named the top college center after three seasons at the University of Florida. It was in Gainesville that Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin first noticed his innate leadership, a trait that would be on display time and again in Pittsburgh, on and off the field.
Pouncey's fierce loyalty was never more evident than in 2019, when a brawl in Cleveland was sparked by Browns star Myles Garrett hitting Steelers quarterback Mason Rudolph in the head with Rudolph's helmet. Pouncey rushed to Rudolph's defense, punching and kicking Garrett until the scuffle was broken up. The NFL ultimately handed Pouncey a two-game suspension and $35,096 fine, but his teammates gave him nothing but love and respect.
"He's one of those guys you want on your team," Rudolph said at the time. "He has your back. He's got everyone's back on this team."
Ironically, it was another quarterback who Pouncey always swore to serve and protect as long as he was in front of him. Roethlisberger had a six-year head-start on Pouncey as a pro, but the latter vowed a few years ago that he'd walk away when his quarterback does.
As it turned out, that's not how it went down. Roethlisberger still has another year left and has been clear that he wants to play it. Pouncey hangs up his cleats with a legacy rich in talent and dedication, a whole lot of winning, plus countless charitable efforts in his adopted hometown and his native Lakeland, Fla. He was named the Steelers' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee in 2019 for his work with the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, the Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank, the Urban Impact Foundation and many others through the Team Pouncey Foundation he founded with his brother.
"He has been a leader in our locker room for over a decade and I respect him so much for all he accomplished during his career," Tomlin said in a statement. "His efforts on the field are matched by his dedication and commitment to the Pittsburgh community and the Lakeland community. He has done so much for his teammates and the entire organization. ... I know he will continue to be successful in every aspect of life. Much love, Maurkice."
