If there's one thing players in the NFL should have learned by now, it's that it isn't a good idea to disrespect the Pittsburgh Steelers' Terrible Towel when you face them. Whether you're superstitious or not, there's no arguing that bad things always seem to befall teams that do.
Teams like the Tennessee Titans, Jacksonville Jaguars and Cincinnati Bengals have all infamously disrespected the Terrible Towel in the past, and all three have felt its wrath.
In 2008, the Titans went 0-2 to finish out their season after disrespecting the towel and got bounced in the first round of the playoffs as the No. 1 seed in the AFC. The next season, the Titans lost their first six games, including a Week 1 matchup to the Steelers, and failed to make the playoffs.
In 2016, the Bengals were up 17-3 over the Steelers when running back Jeremy Hill decided to disrespect the Terrible Towel. Cincinnati went on to blow its 14-point lead and lost, 24-20.
Most recently, the Jaguars tried their hand at bucking the curse of the Terrible Towel in 2023, and it did not work out well for them. After starting out 6-2, they went 3-6 over their last nine games in what was an epic collapse that saw them miss the playoffs. Jacksonville hasn't won a game this season, either.
So, there is plenty of history to suggest maybe it isn't a good idea to disrespect the Terrible Towel, but Indianapolis Colts linebacker Zaire Franklin apparently didn't get the memo.
Franklin wants to "steal a couple Terrible Towels" on Sunday when the two teams meet at Lucas Oil Stadium, where there will inevitably be Steelers fans waving them.
"Hopefully we get to steal a couple Terrible Towels," Franklin told WTHR. "I might try to snatch one myself. We'll see."
Not a good idea. If Franklin wants to ensure his team has a chance this season and next, he should probably avoid this plan.
The Steelers have historically dominated the Colts, with Pittsburgh owning a 21-7 record over Indianapolis. The Steelers also had an eight-game winning streak over the Colts before Indy broke it last season.
We'll see if Franklin does indeed carry out his plan on Sunday, and if he does, we'll see if he and his team end up paying for it in the weeks and months ahead.
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