Pittsburgh Steelers' James Harrison Doesn't Need to Change How He Plays the Game

James Harrison has delivered five illegal hits in the past three seasons, but that shouldn't force him to alter his approach to the game of football.

The Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker needs to be cautious about late hits, but in no way does he need to stop playing with his aggressive mentality. It's how he became such a great player in the first place.

As an undrafted free agent in 2002, Harrison signed with the Steelers, but it wasn't until 2004 that he got the chance to play.

He's worked hard to get to where he is today, and changing how he plays the game wouldn't help his career.

Harrison needs only two more sacks to make it four straight years with at least 10 sacks on the season, which is pretty remarkable considering he hasn't been healthy the entire season. 

A relentless defender, Harrison has helped the Steelers achieve great success over the years, but if he adjusted his playing style, Pittsburgh's stout defense would suffer a major hit. 

On Wednesday, Harrison returned to practice for the first time since being suspended for this hit on Cleveland Browns' quarterback Colt McCoy. 

It was his first illegal hit on a player in quite some time, but NFL commissioner Roger Goodell felt the appropriate punishment was a suspension, mainly because Harrison is a repeat offender. 

Making him sit out a game irritates him more than just paying a hefty fine. In addition to being suspended for the game against the San Francisco 49ers, Harrison also went without pay, which cost him $73,529. 

Harrison told the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review that, "It happened, oh well. Deal with it. Move on. When it came down to it, my helmet hit his. Oh, well." 

At least his admits his wrongdoings, although he probably could've gone about it a different way. Harrison has said some not so bright things to the media before, and he didn't help his case once again. 

"If he was hurt so bad, I don't know why they let him back in, what, two plays later?" Harrison said. "Something should be done to them, I think. I got a game. What should they get?

Harrison does have a point, but he doesn't need to be the one saying things like this. Just take the punishment and focus on the next game. 

While I agree that Harrison needs to learn to handle the media better, he doesn't need to stop playing with an intense manner. 

The Steelers need Harrison to play at a high level because it gives them a greater shot at winning.