Hines Ward, the Steelers all-time leader in just about every meaningful receiving category will be released sometime in the next two weeks said president Art Rooney II on the team's website on Wednesday. "We had a conversation today with Hines Ward and informed him that we plan to release him of his contract prior to the start of the 2012 NFL calendar year," Rooney said. "Hines has been an integral part of our success since we drafted him in 1998, and we will forever be grateful for what he has helped us achieve."