PITTSBURGH -- As he lay on the Heinz Field turf last September, his right knee in tatters, Maurkice Pouncey admits there was a small part of him that feared his football career might be in jeopardy. Catfish Hunter Athletics Jersey . The Pittsburgh Steelers never doubted. They signed him to a five-year contract extension Thursday that averages $8.8 million per season, making Pouncey the highest-paid centre in the NFL. Words cant explain it," Pouncey said while fighting back tears, barely nine months removed from a torn ACL that ended his 2013 season moments after it began. The only centre in league history to make the Pro Bowl in each of his first three seasons is nearly all the way back from surgery to repair the knee after teammate David DeCastro fell on it eight plays into last falls season opener against Tennessee. The 24-year-old Pouncey insists hes "totally fine." The new financial deal puts him just ahead of the agreement signed by Clevelands Alex Mack in April. However, getting paid was the least of Pounceys concerns. Entering the final year of the contract he signed after the Steelers took him with the 18th overall selection in the 2010 draft, Pouncey simply ordered agent Jason Segal to get to work. "I didnt have much role in it," Pouncey said. "I told my agent to get it done as soon as possible so we could move on to other things." Namely getting the Steelers back into the post-season. Considered one of the most athletic linemen at any position in the NFL, Pouncey provides Pittsburgh with a gifted anchor to protect quarterback Ben Roethlisberger. "That group up front is a special group as it is," Roethlisberger said. "Hes the glue that holds them all together." Even if the glue comes at a significant price. Pouncey has only played a full 16-game schedule once in his first four seasons and was forced to sit out Pittsburghs loss to Green Bay in the 2011 Super Bowl with a sprained ankle. Though he wont turn 25 until August, he finds himself as the linchpin of a unit whose oldest player is 28-year-old guard Ramon Foster. "Hes worked his butt off man," Foster said of Pouncey. "Its good to see his hard work is coming around to him. Were glad to have him back and the team commit to him like that." Its a commitment that never wavered as Pouncey underwent surgery and a grueling rehab last fall. Although Roethlisberger maintains Pouncey could have returned before the end of the 2013 season, the arduous recovery process isnt quite over. While Pouncey was a full participant in organized team activities that wrapped up on Thursday, he remains involved in near daily rehab work. The goal is to be 100 per cent by training camp in July. The contract means Pouncey wont have to deal with any potential distractions about his future. Besides, he never planned on leaving anyway. Free agency didnt appeal to him, particularly after the loyalty shown by the Steelers from the moment they chose him to follow in a line of great centres that includes Hall of Famers Mike Webster and Dermontti Dawson. Pounceys career arc is trending in that direction. Having the game taken away from him last September makes him eager to get back to work. "Ill do anything for this team," Pouncey said. "Theres true love here." Henderson Alvarez Athletics Jersey . -- Crystal Webster avoided elimination at the 2013 Capital One Road to the Roar Olympic pre-trial curling tournament with an 8-5 win over Amber Holland on Thursday. Coco Crisp Jersey . -- The Washington Redskins coaching staff distanced itself from other coaches Thursday by siding with ownership -- and not the players -- in the NFLs labour dispute.ENGLEWOOD, Colo. - John Elways philosophy is to address immediate needs in free agency, even though some of his own veterans may prove too pricey to keep around. Eric Decker and Knowshon Moreno both said theyd love to stay in Denver, but they might find more lucrative offers elsewhere when free agency begins in a month. Unlike the Seattle Seahawks, who throttled the Broncos in the Super Bowl, Denver has a high-priced quarterback who takes up a good chunk of the salary cap, limiting what the team can spend elsewhere. Mannings salary cap charge for 2014 is $17.5 million, same as last season, which was more than Seattles entire starting defence and about 25 times as much as Russell Wilsons $681,000 cap number. "Yeah, but Ill tell you right now its worth it for us to have Peyton Manning," Elway said. "Thats just part of when you get a quality quarterback like that that we have in Peyton Manning. You know thats going to be a big chunk of your salary cap, but we got to figure out ways to find the right players." At the right prices. Elway said he has no problem continuing to build a team around Manning even though nobody knows how long No. 18 will be in the Broncos huddle beyond next season. "Well, were going to keep building like Peyton is going to be here," Elway said. "And you know, when Peyton decides to hang em up, we have expectations hopefully to make that transition." Manning confirmed during Super Bowl week that he intends to play next season, pending clearance from his doctor at his annual checkup next month to see if his surgically repaired neck is sound, which seems like a formality given the way he played last season when he won his fifth MVP award. Manning and the Broncos are out to do something that no team has done since the Buffalo Bills in 1993 — make it back to the Super Bowl the year after losing it. Elway, the teams executive vice-president, had been busy on a blueprint long before the Super Bowl blowout. He knows he could lose Decker, Moreno and guard Zane Beadles on offencce and he has to rebuild a defence that was obliterated by an injury epidemic. Yonder Alonso Jersey. The Broncos have 18 unrestricted and three restricted free agents, but Elway has to be prudent because big deals are looming next year for Demaryius Thomas, Julius Thomas and maybe Von Miller. Hes hit the jackpot in free agency two years in a row, first with Manning in 2012 and then with Wes Welker, Louis Vasquez, Shaun Phillips, Terrance Knighton and Dominique Rodgers-Cromartie last year. Elway expects to be busy again this year. He has about $25 million in projected cap space right now but could free up more by asking Champ Bailey and Jacob Tamme to restructure their contracts and by releasing Chris Kuper and Joel Dreessen. Elway said using free agency to address immediate needs gives the Broncos freedom in the draft. "We dont have to sit there and reach for some guy because of a need. So, if we can get rid of really the absolute needs that we need to do in free agency, then that opens it up, we can fire free at the draft, take the best players," he said. If Moreno leaves, the Broncos have Montee Ball ready to step in as the featured back. He came on strong down the stretch, finishing the season with 120 carries for 561 yards and four touchdowns. Nearly a third of his carries moved the sticks, ranking third in the league and tops among rookies. His pass protection also vastly improved. "We have high expectations out of Montee," Elway said. "Well see how things flush out with Knowshon." Decker, who has 32 TD catches over the last three years, would be missed. But Manning has plenty of other targets and teammate Bubba Caldwell, another unrestricted free agent, could prove a cheaper alternative. "This is an organization any player wants to come to," Decker said. "They treat you first class, its a winning organization. Theyve built a culture thats phenomenal. 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