The Pittsburgh Steelers seemingly could never get over the hump that was the New England Patriots throughout the 2010s. 

Never even a true rivalry, New England had Pittsburgh's number for the majority of the decade, both in the regular and postseason. 

But what if I told you there was a way Pittsburgh could have prevented that? A selection I'm sure they wish they would have made:

Julian Edelman Could Have Been A Pittsburgh Steeler?

Yep, that's right. The former three-time Super Bowl Champion and S.B. MVP could have been in the 412 from jump street, only making the highlights that replay in your head sting a little more. 

During a recent appearance on The New Heights Podcast, Edelman discussed his early days out of college when teams were experimenting with the former collegiate quarterback at more appropriate professional positions, telling the Kelce brothers the following:

“I got worked out by the Steelers as a DB, a safety,” Edelman said. “The Patriots, man they ran me through it all. They worked me out as a running back, defensive back, and wide receiver. They worked me out three times, and that was really unheard of honestly. Every other workout outside of the Patriots and Steelers was as an athlete.”

Edelman would go on to play WR for New England, becoming one of the most dominant postseason players in recent memory, and forming a bond with HOF QB Tom Brady that propelled the Pats to the second half of their 20-year dynasty. 

Now, to Pittsburgh's credit, Edelman wasn't exactly touted as the second coming of Jerry Rice in the 2009 draft, evident by his 7th-round status and 232nd overall selection. 

But Pittsburgh is known for their ability to eye talent at wideout, making this a very ironic scenario as that's often been one of the few blindspots in Bill Belichick's scouting ability. 



But hey, even a broken clock is right twice a day, although this scenario has Pittsburgh wishing they could go back in time.

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So while we'll never know what Edelman's career would have looked like in the black and gold, it's safe to say that it certainly wouldn't have hurt Pittsburgh as much as having him be Tom Brady's security blanket was. Edelman was the type of lunchpail, blue-collar worker that Steelers fans would have loved, but his skill set may not have been the best match for what Ben liked to do with the ball. 



Either way, it's fun to imagine what could have been, and hurtful to know what could have been prevented. 

Featured image via: © David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports