The Steelers currently have many players on the team that will be remembered for years to come as Steeler-greats. They are fortunate to have cornerstones like Antonio Brown, James Harrison, and Lawrence Timmons.

These players and more had big seasons this past year that furthered their place in the Steelers record books, and in some cases cemented their place in Steelers history.

The 2016 Steelers raised the franchise’s bar. Their AFC North division title was their seventh since 2002, and with 601 regular season wins, joining the Chicago Bears (744), Green Bay Packers (730) and New York Giants (684), as the only teams in NFL history to reach 600 regular season wins.

Aside from team statistics, here’s a look at where some players stand in the Steelers record books following the 2016 season.

Antonio Brown

Antonio Brown continued his ascension up the Steelers record books in 2016 with another dominant season. Though he may not be leading in any categories, his name now lies among Steeler greats.

Receptions 

1.	Hines Wards	1000
2.	Antonio Brown	632

Prior to 2016 season: 526 catches, ranked 4th 

Receiving yards

1.	Hines Ward	12,083
2.	John Stallworth	8723
3.	Antonio Brown	8377

Prior to 2016 season: 7,093 yards, ranked 3rd 

Touchdowns

1.	Hines Ward	85
2.	John Stallworth	63
3.	Lynn Swann	51
4.	Antonio Brown	50

Prior to 2016 season: 38 touchdowns, ranked 7th 

It’s safe to assume Brown’s ascension will continue into 2017. Next season he should be able to easily gain the #2 spot for receiving yards and the #3 spot for touchdowns. Over the past 3 seasons Brown has had no less than 100 receptions, 1200 yards, and 10 touchdowns.

If Antonio receives a contract extension that makes him a Steeler for life, it’s not outrageous to think he may eventualy surpass Hines Ward for the #1 spot across the board.

Ben Roethlisberger

Ben Roethlisberger and Antonio Brown surpassed Pro Football Hall of Famers Terry Bradshaw and Lynn Swann (49) for the most touchdown passes from a quarterback to receiver in team history.

Roethlisberger’s 15 touchdown passes through Week 5 were the most by a Steelers quarterback in the first five games of a season.

James Harrison

James Harrison made history this year. Even at 38, Harrison still plays like a man half his age. Harrison has been a fan-favorite for years, these records only confirm what we already knew – Harrison is one of the best Steelers linebackers of all time.

Sacks

1.	James Harrison	79.5
2.	Jason Gildon	77

Prior to 2016 season: 74.5 sacks, ranked 2nd 

Forced fumbles

1.	Greg Lloyd	34
2.	James Harrison	33

Prior to 2016 season: 31 forced fumble’s, ranked 2nd

Harrison announced he will be returning next season so his sack record isn’t close to being done. He also has the potential to set another record for forced fumbles. One of the most beautiful sights in the world is seeing Harrison coming around the edge and knocking the ball out of a quarterbacks hands – I fully believe he can break this record.

Lawrence Timmons

Larence Timmons has been one of the most reliable Steelers ever since being drafted. He consistently leads the team in tackles and has been a cornerstone on this defense for years. His career tackle numbers shouldn’t come as a surprise to anybody.

Tackles

1.	James Farrior	731
2.	Lawrence Timmons	680

Prior to 2016 season: 602 tackles, ranked 6th 

If Timmons gets a new contract this offseason that allows him to finish his career in Pittsburgh, he should have no problem being the Steelers all-time leader in tackles. Even with him being pulled off the field occasionally for different defensive packages, he managed to consistently make plays and find the ball.  Having always been an underrated player his entire career, Timmons has earned his place in the Steelers record books.

William Gay

Another veteran on the defense, William Gay still plays consistent football even though he’s getting older. Gay is know for making splash plays, especially his knack for pick sixes. Going into the 2016 season Gay was tied with Rod Woodson for the teams pick six record.

Pick sixes

1.	Rod Woodson	5
2.	William Gay	5

Prior to 2016 season: 5 pick sixes, tied 1st 

Unfortunately Gay was unable to break Woodson’s record in 2016. He did come close though, Gay got a pick six versus the Buffalo Bills in week 14 that got called back due to a penalty on Artie Burns. Though he didn’t break the record, Gay still has plenty of time make his mark in the record books. He still has 2 years remaining on his contract and currently remains our starting nickel cornerback. Hopefully he manages to get at least one more, a veteran like Gay deserves it.

Chris Boswell

Chris Boswell is the most interesting case among these players. Going into the 2016 season he was ranked 1st in field goal percentage, beating Shaun Suisham. Though he played great in 2016 and won many games for the Steelers, things changed in the record books following the season.

Field goal percentage (+10 attempts)

1.	Shaun Suisham	87.9%
2.	Chris Boswell	87.7%

Prior to 2016 season: 90.6%, ranked 1st 

Fun Fact: Chris Boswell made six field goals in Week 15, tied with Gary Anderson (10/23/88) and Jeff Reed (12/1/02) for the most in a single game in franchise history.

Boswell’s stats took a slight dip following the season, now following Suisham by 0.2%. However, Boswell proved to be an extremely consistent kicker this last season, I have confidence in him that he will continue to improve throughout his career and can regain the top spot. Being that he recently signed a contract to keep him a Steeler through 2017 and has earned the respect from the team and staff, I expect we will see great things from Boswell for years to come.