Hartwig knows his future in doubt with the Steelers

The big story this week outside of the QB spot is the center spot, and the fact that Maurkice Pouncey has taken the spot away from vet Justin Hartwig.

The veteran Hartwig is taking the move in stride, but one has to think with a salary of $3.7 million in 2010, the Steelers could be thinking about cutting the 31-year-old and saving that money for next year and a guy like LaMarr Woodley.

Hartwig knows that there has to be some thought given to the team saying ‘so long’ to him once cuts start to be made here very soon.

“Those are the things you think about when you’re starting and, all of sudden, you got another guy playing in front of you,” Hartwig said Thursday. “Obviously, you think about your future. That’s the nature of this business. I’ve had the upper hand in these situations and I’ve had the lower hand. You kind of take things in stride.”

If the Steelers do decide to dump Hartwig, the backup to Pouncey would be Kraig Urbik and Doug Legursky. Urbik enters his 3rd season out of Wisconsin, and Legursky will be in his 2nd year out of Marshall. It’s a tough decision the Steelers are going to have to make sooner than later with Hartwig and the clubs O-line future.