Ex-Steeler James Harrison Says Coach Mike Tomlin Handed Him An Envelope Following 2010 Hit

James Harrison has been out of the NFL since the end of the 2017 season. Harrison is arguably best known for his time with the Pittsburgh Steelers, specifically his bone-crushing hits and even more specifically, one bone-crushing hit. 

In 2010, Harrison, while playing for the Steelers, was playing against the Cleveland Browns. In that game Harrison left his feet and speared his head into the helmet of Browns receiver Mohamed Massaquoi. The hit left Massaquoi with a concussion and took him out of the game, the play was also not flagged at the time, but the league did fine Harrison $75,000 (which is later lowered to $50,000).

While appearing on the Going Deep podcast, Harrison said that his coach at the time, Mike Tomlin, handed Harrison an envelope following that hit. “The G-est thing Mike Tomlin ever did, he handed me an envelope after that. I’m not going to say what, but he handed me an envelope after that,” Tomlin said.

That comment has some people scrambling. Harrison’s former agent, Bill Parise, came out and denied the statement of Harrison. “Never happened. I would have known that. It didn’t happen,” he said. “James and I are still together. We were really close during our 18 years. He would have said something along the way.”

If Harrison’s story is true, this will open up a number of questions regarding whether or not Tomlin and the Steelers were essentially putting out bounties on opposing players and rewarding Steeler players for hitting their opponents with money. The New Orleans Saints faced a similar situation in the early 2010s, where numerous coaches and players were suspended. 

Steelers President Art Rooney II issued a statement, denying Harrison’s claims. “I am certain nothing like this ever happened,” he said. “I have no idea why James would make a comment like this, but there is simply no basis for believing anything like this.”