James Harrison stems retirement talk after loss to the Patriots

Steelers All-Pro linebacker James Harrison isn’t going anywhere just yet.

After falling to the Patriots in the AFC Championship, the 38-year-old sounded rather defiant about his future football plans.

“I’m not done,” Harrison told reporters in New England.

After the wear and tear of a full NFL season, it’s not uncommon for older veterans to deflect questions about the future and give their bodies time to heal before making a decision. So, for Harrison to make a statement like this directly after a season-ending loss shows it’s not a conversation he’s willing to put off.

His decision shouldn’t come as a surprise, though, given how much time he devotes to working out.

The 14-year pro led the Steelers in sacks this season with five and totaled 39 tackles. Harrison briefly retired in 2014 after one season with the Bengals, but that didn’t last for more than a few months. He came back to Pittsburgh to help an injury-ravaged team remain a contender that year.

He’s no doubt an anchor of the Steelers’ defense that finished with the 12th-best unit in the league this, giving up an average of 342.6 yards per game, and the 10th-fewest points per game (20.4)

Pittsburgh has one of the more complete teams in the AFC and may only be a few pieces away from another Super Bowl victory. That seems more than enough to keep Harrison in the game for at least another year.