James Harrison Trying to Help Steelers Land Joe Burrow

PITTSBURGH -- Any Pittsburgh Steelers fan hoping the team lands an elite quarterback this offseason should be thanking James Harrison. The franchise legend and future Hall of Famer is trying his best to bring maybe the best quarterback in the AFC North to Pittsburgh, and he seems determined to make it happen.

Speaking on his podcast, Joe & Deebo Podcast, Harrison said he's been speaking to Joe Burrow through the podcast and directly, making phone calls to the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback in an effort to recruit him to the Steelers.

"I've been conversating with him [Joe Burrow] here on a weekly, bi-weekly basis. We've been having conversations. I talked to him on the phone yesterday," Harrison said. "We've been talking about him. He's going to go up there and talk to Mr. Brown to see what he needs to do to do whatever he needs to do to maybe get into some black and gold."

Special guest on the episode, Ben Roethlisberger, was stunned by the idea. When asked his thoughts, he called it a "pipe dream."

Could Joe Burrow End Up in Pittsburgh?

While things are constantly changing in the NFL, one source in Cincinnati once told Steelers On SI that Burrow to the Steelers would never happen.

"We have no intention of trading Joe Burrow whatsoever," the source said. "But if that day ever came, he would not be a Pittsburgh Steeler."

Burrow and Cincinnati seem to be in a strange place where the Bengals are not a real contender most years but Burrow is believed to be one of the top five best quarterbacks in the NFL. At this point, it almost feels like him getting out of Cincinnati would be "saving him" during his NFL career.

Pittsburgh would be tough, though. The Steelers would not only need to make an offer to the Bengals that caught their attention, but also pay an in-division tax. That means that if Burrow is going for two first-round draft picks, the Steelers would likely need to pay even more for him, if the Bengals were to even answer the phone.

But why not keep believing? If Harrison continues to recruit Burrow to Pittsburgh, maybe one day he'll break through to him. And it's hard to tell anyone in the league that adding Burrow isn't worth the draft capital and doesn't bring plenty of excitement.

Don't get too caught up in hoping he ends up in black and gold, though.

Subscribe to our FREE Newsletter for the latest news and updates on the Pittsburgh Steelers