The Pittsburgh Steelers‘ countdown to kickoff is full steam ahead for the 2026 NFL regular season, with fans needing to wait only 55 more days until the Steel City brand of football returns when the Steelers host the Atlanta Falcons on September 13.
In the spirit of the countdown, we at Steelers Wire will take a look at the history of the No. 55 jersey and analyze which player wore it best.
Advertisement
Holcomb is the current No. 55 on the Steelers roster, where he is the team’s top backup behind Patrick Queen and Payton Wilson.
-
Cole Holcomb, 2023-present
There have been plenty of solid No. 55 wearers in Steelers history, but the greatest to ever don the number is outside linebacker Joey Porter Sr.
Drafted by Pittsburgh with the 73rd overall pick in the third round of the 1999 NFL Draft, Porter quickly became one of the most feared linebackers in the league. He appeared in 122 games for Pittsburgh from 1999 to 2006 and produced 60 sacks, which is the seventh-most all-time by a Steeler.
Advertisement
Porter was also a key piece of the Steelers’ Super Bowl XL championship defense, earning three Pro Bowl selections with Pittsburgh and one more with Miami, in addition to being named First-Team All-Pro in 2002.
For his accomplishments, Porter was named to the Pittsburgh Steelers All-Time Team, the Pittsburgh Steelers Hall of Honor, and the NFL 2000s All-Decade Team, making him the only realistic selection for the greatest Steeler to ever wear No. 55.
For up-to-date Steelers coverage, including any offseason moves, follow us on X @TheSteelersWire and give our Facebook page a like.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers legendary OLB leads 2026 countdown to kickoff: Day No. 55
