Steelers could pay for blown call on LB Harrison

turn Tuesday when Harrison signed with the Patriots just a few days after he was released by the Steelers. Can you imagine the wonderful, delicious possibilities? Can’t you just see Harrison — the Steelers all-time sacks leader, one of the great players in franchise history and a borderline Hall of Famer — coming out of the same tunnel with Bill Belichick, Tom Brady and Rob Gronkowski to face Mike Tomlin, Ben Roethlisberger and Le’Veon Bell? Story lines just don’t get any better than that.

I’m so amped by the thought I won’t be able to sleep until it happens, although I’m pretty sure Roethlisberger and Bell might not share my excitement. Don’t think that Harrison wouldn’t love to knock them into next week.

I can’t help but think Tomlin will get exactly what he deserves if Harrison helps the Patriots end yet another Steelers season. He and Kevin Colbert shouldn’t have released Harrison last week. Not with just two regular-season games left. Not after the team carried Harrison all season. Not with him being an iconic figure, not just in franchise history, but among his adoring teammates, who marvel at his unparalleled work ethic and see his daily social-media posts of his 4 a.m. workouts.

“I was shocked,” Roethlisberger said when asked his reaction to Harrison’s release. That makes two of us. Tomlin said the Steelers needed Harrison’s roster spot before a game Monday at Houston to make room for the return of suspended Marcus Gilbert. But that’s nonsense. The team kept Daniel McCullers over Harrison. McCullers, in his fourth NFL season, has been inactive or didn’t play in all but two of the 15 games so far this season. He has no future with the organization. None.

Now, perhaps, with Harrison headed to the hated Patriots, Tomlin is wishing he waited until after the season to force out Harrison. That would have been fine. No one deserves a lifetime contract. No one gets to play forever. It was fine that Tomlin dumped Casey Hampton, Hines Ward and Troy Polamalu at the end of a season. They couldn’t play anymore. Maybe Harrison can’t play anymore, either, but he deserved a better exit considering everything he has meant to the franchise. I get that professional football is a cold, hard business. But Tomlin and Colbert blew this one, unless Harrison did something we don’t know about that was so egregious that he had to be released. I don’t believe that was the case. I’ve heard nothing like that.

It’s going to be fascinating to see what role Harrison plays with the Patriots. It’s conceivable he was brought in primarily to reveal Steelers secrets. Who knows the Tomlin/Keith Butler defense better than he does? You know Belichick. You know how he’s always looking for an edge. Spygate, anyone?

But it’s also possible Harrison will see significant playing time. The Patriots don’t have a lot of depth at defensive end and outside linebacker. At the very least, they can ask Harrison to rush the passer. (Sorry, Ben). You don’t think he will be especially inspired to play well for his new team, do you? I’m guessing he’ll probably work out all night at Gillette Stadium.

That’s where Harrison was late Tuesday afternoon when he sent out a picture of himself with Brady on his jhharrison92 Instagram account. The two were beaming. It was hard to tell which one was happier. Harrison’s message: “Finally … A teammate that’s older than me!”

Perhaps that picture made you sick to your stomach. Sorry, I loved it. A big part of me will love it if Harrison gets another Super Bowl ring.

Even if it’s with the wrong team.