In the age of the internet, rumors spread like a firestorm. A recent report circulated in the NFL community that the Pittsburgh Steelers legend, Joe Greene, passed away on March 20, 2026, at the age of 79. However, the franchise recently cleared the air about the news.

“When we reached out to the Steelers about the supposed tragic news,” noted TMZ Sports. “They stated the report is not accurate.”

Besides TMZ, the NFL Insider, John McClain, also confirmed the news that the 79-year-old is very much alive.

“Fortunately, Joe Greene has NOT died,” wrote McClain on X. ” I got that from his family. That report was fake news. Joe is doing great!!!”

The report began circulating early in the morning on March 20, when an X user named “Johnny Cadillac” with over 96,000 followers posted a picture of the legendary defensive tackle, implying he had passed away. The surprising news rapidly caught the attention of the football fans without proper verification. Within just twenty-four hours, the post received over 850,000 views.

A first-round pick (4th overall) from the 1969 NFL Draft, Greene was an integral part of the Black and Gold during his playing days. Playing 13 seasons at the Steelers, he won multiple honors with the franchise, participating in the golden run of the franchise during the 1970s. He won four Super Bowls (1974, 1975, 1978, 1979) with the team.

He made a mark in his very first season, winning the NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award in 1969, followed by two Defensive Player of the Year Awards in 1972 and 1974. Out of the 13 seasons he played, he earned the Pro Bowl honors ten times, which stood out as a remarkable individual achievement.

Greene’s individual dominance, which included 77.5 sacks over 181 games between 1969 and 1981, was the engine for the team’s historic success, as he anchored the defense for four Super Bowl victories. He helped make the defensive unit invincible, the same defense that was later known as the Steel Curtain Defense.

The loss of Steel Curtain Defense legends may have fueled false alarms around Joe Greene

The Steelers have won six Super Bowl trophies, of which four came with the Steel Curtain Defense leading the charge in the 1970s and the early 1980s. They were the cornerstones of their dynasty run.

Aside from Greene, the defensive unit was built around defensive end L.C. Greenwood, defensive tackle Ernie Holmes, and defensive end Dwight White. Although Holmes left the Steelers for the New England Patriots in 1978, the other three remained intact until the end of 1980.

Incidentally, other than Joe Greene, none of the members of the Steel Curtain Defense are alive today, which may explain why the rumor of his supposed death spread quickly. Greenwood died in 2013 at the age of 67, while Holmes passed away eighteen years ago at the age of 59. White also left the world the same year, and he was 58 at the time of his passing.

All in all, Joe Greene is very much alive.

Before making his mark in the pros, he built his foundation at the North Texas Mean Green, a program that actually adopted its now-iconic nickname during his time there in 1966. His impact didn’t go unnoticed. North Texas honored him by retiring his No. 75 jersey in 1981. Years later, the Pittsburgh Steelers followed suit, retiring the same number in 2014 as a tribute to everything he meant to the franchise.

Joe Greene even earned a place in the College Football Hall of Fame in 1984, and just three years later, he reached the pinnacle with his induction into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1987.