Pittsburgh Steelers (first stint) Randle El was selected as a wide receiver in the
second round of the
2002 NFL draft with the 62nd overall pick by the
Pittsburgh Steelers. He was the ninth wide receiver to be selected in the 2002 NFL Draft. He earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against
Baltimore in Week 8. As a rookie, he had 47 receptions for 489 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. He was named to the NFL All-Rookie Team. In Week 8 of the 2003 season, Randle El earned AFC Special Teams Player of the Week for his game against
St. Louis. He had an 84-yard punt return for a touchdown in the game. In the 2003 season, Randle El finished with 37 receptions for 364 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. The Steelers made him their top kickoff returner through the
2004 season, and their top punt returner. In Week 15, against the
New York Giants, he threw his first professional touchdown pass on a 10-yard catch by
Verron Haynes. He finished the 2004 season with 43 receptions for 601 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. In Week 10 of the 2005 season, against the
Cleveland Browns, Randle El threw a 51-yard touchdown pass to
Hines Ward. In the 2005 season, he finished with 35 receptions for 558 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. He had a game-clinching 43-yard reverse touchdown pass to Hines Ward in the fourth quarter of
Super Bowl XL, his only championship title. He was the third non-quarterback and the first wide receiver in NFL history to throw a touchdown pass in the
Super Bowl.
Washington Redskins During the
free agency period in March 2006, Randle El signed a seven-year deal with the
Washington Redskins, worth
$31 million with $11.5 million in bonuses. He had initially been in talks to sign a six-year, $18 million contract with the
Chicago Bears, but discussions had broken down following the first day of free agency. In the Redskins' Week 7 game against the
Indianapolis Colts, he returned a punt 87 yards for a touchdown in the second quarter, his first punt return for a touchdown with the Redskins, then in Week 17, he passed for his first touchdown as a Redskin, completing a 48-yard pass to wide receiver
Santana Moss. In the 2006 season, he finished with 32 receptions for 351 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns. In the
2007 season opener against the
Miami Dolphins, Randle El recorded five
receptions for a career-high 162 yards. In addition, he was the Redskins' emergency
quarterback. In December 2007, Randle El was inactive in a loss to
Buffalo with a hamstring injury. This was his first game missed in his six-year NFL career, ending a run of 91 consecutive regular season starts. In the 2007 season, Randle El finished with 51 receptions for 728 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown. In the
Wild Card Round against
Seattle, Randle El had ten receptions for 94 receiving yards and one receiving touchdown in the 35–14 loss. In the 2008 season, Randle El recorded 53 receptions for 593 receiving yards and four receiving touchdowns. In the 2009 season, Randle El recorded 50 receptions for 530 receiving yards in 16 games. In January 2010, Randle El was named in the
Bleacher Report's Pittsburgh Steelers All-Decade team for defense and special teams, as a punt returner. He was also named fifth in
USA Today's All-Decade kick returners. Randle El was among ten players released by the Redskins on March 4, 2010. The move came as a result of a number of personnel changes in Washington, with new head coach and executive vice president
Mike Shanahan – signed alongside new offensive coordinator
Kyle Shanahan – opting to make room in the Redskins' depth chart and salary outgoings in preparation of the 2010 free agency period. Randle El stated that he was "shocked" at the move, commenting that "with a new GM and a new coach, I thought you'd be given a shot to show them what you can do."
Pittsburgh Steelers (second stint) On March 8, 2010, Randle El again signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in a three-year deal worth $7 million, with a $900,000 signing bonus. He was active in all sixteen regular season games, with 22 receptions for 253 yards. In a Week 4 loss to the
Baltimore Ravens, Randle El was the team's leading receiver with 50 yards, including a season-longest 34-yard catch. Following the Steelers bye week, Randle El had a twelve-yard receiving touchdown overturned, in a week six loss to the
New Orleans Saints. In Week 9, Randle El threw for a touchdown pass to wide receiver
Mike Wallace in a win over the
Cincinnati Bengals, following a hand-off from
Ben Roethlisberger. Randle El threw for a second passing touchdown in the Steelers' final regular season game against the
Cleveland Browns, completing a pass to
Hines Ward. The pass added to his career
passer rating of 157.5 from 21 completed passes of a possible 26, the highest career rating of any player with more than twenty completions. Randle El scored a rushing two-point conversion in
Super Bowl XLV to bring the Steelers to within three points of
Green Bay in the fourth quarter. However, the Steelers would lose to Green Bay 31– 25. He was released by the team on July 28, 2011.
Retirement After not playing during the 2011 season, Randle El announced his retirement from professional football on July 13, 2012. In 2013, he became the athletic director at
Virginia Academy in
Ashburn, Virginia, a Christian high school he helped found. ==NFL career statistics==