The Pittsburgh Steelers are one of the most storied franchises in professional sports.

So it goes without saying that the franchise has had a lot of great players.

We could probably do a top 50 Steelers of all time and still have to leave a lot of incredible players off the list.

But for now, we're going to stick to the top five Steelers of all time. This wasn't an easy list to compile. But I feel good about the five players listed below.

5. Ben Roethlisberger — Quarterback

Ben Roethlisberger retired this offseason after 18 seasons in the NFL — all spent with the Steelers.

Roethlisberger won two Super Bowls, reached six Pro-Bowls, and finished his career with the most 500-yard passing games in NFL history (4).

For a generation of Steelers fans, Big Ben was Steelers football. Tough, competitive, and a winner. It'll be hard to fill Roethlisberger's shoes this offseason. Impossible, really.

4. Jack Lambert — Linebacker

Jack Lambert is easily one of the greatest linebackers of all time. Lambert, who is a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, played 11 seasons in the NFL and he spent them all with the Steelers. During that time, Lambert won four Super Bowls, reached nine Pro-Bowls, and was named the NFL defensive player of the year in 1976. When you think of "Steeler football", it's impossible not to think of Lambert.

3. Terry Bradshaw — Quarterback

Terry Bradshaw was the No. 1 overall selection in the 1970 NFL Draft and he absolutely lived up to it. Bradshaw helped deliver four Super Bowls to Pittsburgh. he was a three-time Pro-Bowler who was named the NFL MVP in 1978. Bradshaw, who played his entire career (14 seasons) with the Steelers, is also a member Pro Football Hall of Fame.

2. Franco Harris — Fullback

They don't make them like Franco Harris anymore. Really, they don't. Fullbacks are non-existent in today's NFL. Harris, though, was a great one. The former Penn State standout played 12 seasons with the Steelers. He won four Super Bowls and reached nine Pro Bowls.

1. Joe Greene — Defensive tackle

"Mean" Joe Green IS Pittsburgh Steeler football. Greene, a Texas native, is one of the greatest players in the history of the NFL. And he's the best player in Steelers history. Greene played 13 seasons for Pittsburgh. In those 13 seasons, Greene won four Super Bowls, was named the defensive player of the year twice and went to 10 Pro Bowls. Green is one of the people credited with taking Pittsburgh from the cellar to the top of the NFL world in the 1970s. The Hall of Famer is truly one of a kind.

Featured image via Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports/Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports