LeGarrette Blount's tenure in Pittsburgh was as short as it was undistinguished. The running back signed with the team in the offseason, presumably under the pretext that he would serve as relief pitcher to staff ace Le'Veon Bell. Except that the lack of work came to a head Monday night, before the final snap in the Steelers-Titans game that saw Bell rush 33 times for 204 yards and a touchdown.
Blount left the field early, showered, dressed and headed to the team bus. Safety Mike Mitchell, still in full uniform, reportedly tried to coax Blount off the bus and back into the locker room but to no avail.
On Tuesday morning, the Steelers released Blount after 11 games, 65 carries, 266 yards and two scores.
Center Maurkice Pouncey called the decision "a blessing in disguise."
It sounds like LeGarrette Blount had worn out his welcome in Pittsburgh. (USATSI)
"We're fine," Pouncey said, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. "We have our starting running back. It's probably a good thing that it happened. At the end of the day, if it was a cancer, he ended up leaving on his own. That's a blessing for us. At the end of the day, we're good. We don't need him."
It sounds like Pouncey wasn't the only Steelers player that thought the organization made the right decision.
Steelers locker room basically to a man saying it had to be done -- release of Blount
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly_Trib) November 18, 2014"We're grown men and we need to act like grown men," defensive end Cameron Heyward said. "If you're not on the field, that shouldn't be a problem. If you're not on the field, you have to make other contributions. We're a team. If you don't want to be a part of the team, don't be a part of the team. We're trying to win, and that's not going to be acceptable."
The biggest question won't be how the Steelers will replace Blount's production but who will now take part in the selfie celebrations with Bell after he scores.
This was Blount's last selfie celebration in Steelers uniform. (MNF)
We're sticking with our earlier suggestion: Brad Wing.
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