Troy Polamalu was a central character in the Pittsburgh Steelers' second Super Bowl run, winning Lombardi Trophies in the 2005 and 2008 seasons, to go along with four from the immortal 1970's squads.
With Polamalu's retirement on Thursday, it's reasonable to ponder whether that second era is now closed. The Steelers no longer boast the long-haired safety, Ike Taylor, LaMarr Woodley, James Farrior, Casey Hampton, Brett Keisel, Hines Ward, Santonio Holmes, Ryan Clark or even legendary defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
In an interview with NFL Media's Mark Kriegel on Friday, Steelers president Art Rooney II admitted that it might be time to turn the page on history.
"There's certainly been some turnover so maybe it's time to say (the second Super Bowl era is over)," Rooney said. "This year will be the 10th anniversary of the team that won the Super Bowl in 2005, so we will be celebrating that occasion this season. There is time to turn the page and this may be part of that time for us."
Ben Roethlisberger and Heath Miller are now the lone holdovers from 2005, with Matt Spaeth, James Harrison and Lawrence Timmons joining them to hoist the second Super Bowl trophy of the decade.
Given the quick turnover in the NFL, it's not a surprise to see only five players remaining from a championship won seven seasons ago. In just the three years, between the 2005 and 2008 Super Bowl teams, the Steelers fielded 11 new starters.
It's fair to say that with the key cogs on the Steelers' defense gone, the page has turned from Pittsburgh's second Super Bowl run.
But with Big Ben still under center, the door to begin another run of Super Bowl championships remains wide open. Pittsburgh boasts a potent offense -- more potent than either that won a Super Bowl -- with Pro Bowlers Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell keying a deep attack.
The turnover from the previous Super Bowl squad has left deep questions on the defensive side of the ball. If Mike Tomlin's team can answer those queries with improved play from younger players, a third Super Bowl era could begin in Pittsburgh.
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