Heath Miller Retires After 11 Seasons

The 33-year-old’s numbers of 592 receptions, 6,569 yards and 45 touchdowns are all franchise records for tight ends.

As great as Miller’s play on the field was, he was and continues to be an example off of it. His philanthropy work with several charities in his community is a testament to his character as much as his dedication to the physical demands of football.

Miller was a two-time Super Bowl champion as well as a two-time Pro Bowler.

The Steelers drafted Miller 30th overall in 2005. He has been a favorite target of quarterback Ben Roethlisbergerfor many years. In an era when most tight ends were either primarily blockers or oversized wide receivers, Miller was both. Throughout his 11 years, he has played in 168 games and caught 592 receptions.

Heinz Field just won’t sound the same.

The unbelievable aspect of Heath’s game was his success in the Steelers offense despite the team not being known for its heavy use of tight ends. Miller holds three ACC tight end career records with most receptions with 144, yards with 1,703, and touchdowns with 20.

FILE – In this file photo from February 6, 2011, Green Bay Packers’ Desmond Bishop tackles Pittsburg … “But he helped build confidence in myself, and the team in me”. That’s what Heath Miller is.

There was plenty of National Football League news involving former Virginia players on Friday.

Miller was expected to open the 2016 season as the Steelers starting TE because talk of retirement was not heavily-speculated and he also had one-year remaining on his contract. “Spoke softly, but carried a big stick!”

Seeing Miller hang up the cleats is certainly bittersweet for Bengals fans, as he’s one of the few Steeler players who Cincinnati fans don’t seem to have a vendetta against.

Ultimately, however, Miller went his own way. Instead, he will be remembered as a hybrid of the throwback tight end that got dirty in the trenches – the nameless and faceless players you might’ve seen slogging it out on those legendary Pittsburgh teams of the Seventies – and the tight ends of today who can beat you with their massive size and soft hands. He ranks ninth all-time in receiving yards for a tight end as well.

And perhaps not easily replaced. He was scheduled to count $7.81 million against the 2016 salary cap. James will be backed up by Matt Spaeth and 2015 college free agent Xavier Grimble, barring the drafting or signing of an additional tight end. “Words aren’t enough to express what I’m feeling and how blessed I feel”.