PITTSBURGH - Plaxico Burress seems convinced he has played his final game with the Pittsburgh Steelers. Jerome Bettis isn't so sure about his future.

Bettis, whose comeback following two disappointing seasons was a highlight of the Steelers' unexpectedly good season, addressed his teammates during an emotional meeting Monday that left Hines Ward in tears.

While Bettis insists he hasn't made up his mind to retire, Ward fears a 41-27 loss to New England in the AFC championship game Sunday night was The Bus' final appearance for the Steelers.

The thought of the Steelers being without Bettis, especially after he fell one game short of the Super Bowl for the third time with Pittsburgh, left Ward visibly distraught.

"We put it all on the line," Ward said Monday, tears streaming down his face. "It's disappointing. I wanted to win more than anything for him. He deserves to be a champion."

Burress, the Steelers' top downfield threat, apparently doesn't think they will make a major effort to re-sign him. He also is disappointed with the limited number of throws that came his way Sunday, though he dropped a fade pass in the end zone that would have pulled Pittsburgh within 34-27 early in the fourth quarter.

"It's Pittsburgh, which speaks for itself. They're not going to change," Burress said. "I'm not going to change. Three or four balls just doesn't suit me very well."

By contrast, Bettis never criticized coach Bill Cowher's decision to start Duce Staley for the first half of the season. That team-first attitude and Bettis' seven consecutive 100-yard games after Staley was hurt left a major impression on his teammates.

Bettis was in his best shape in years, not missing any games due to injury while averaging nearly 113 yards in his eight starts. His footwork and ability to cut also were visibly better than a season ago.

"I'm still in the middle of the road," said Bettis, who'll be 33 next month. "I need to get away from it and the loss and just take some time away."

Bettis said he talked to his teammates not to tell them goodbye, but because it might be the last time this group of Steelers would be together.

"I need to look at it and let my body tell me what to do," Bettis said. "If physically I can come back and be as productive as I was this year, then that's something that I would like to do. But if I can't, then I don't want to be out there and I don't want to take away from this football team."

The Steelers must restructure Bettis' contract again if he returns. After they signed Staley in March, Bettis agreed to cut his pay from $3.7 million to $1 million to keep the team under the salary cap.

Bettis is due to make $4,484,000, with a cap value of $5,484,000, in 2005. Staley, the starter until injuring a hamstring Oct. 31, will make $2,150,000 next season.

Burress' departure after five seasons would take away quarterback Ben Roethlisberger's top deep threat and also require the Steelers to add another receiver via the draft or free agency.

Antwaan Randle El would replace Burress as a starter but, at 5-foot-10 is 7 inches shorter than Burress and does not create severe matchup problems for smaller defensive backs.

Burress missed five of Pittsburgh's last six regular-season games with a sore hamstring, causing him to finish with 35 catches - 43 fewer than two seasons ago. Ward was Pittsburgh's top receiver with 80 catches and made the Pro Bowl for a fourth consecutive season.

"Everybody keeps telling me what an important person I am on this football team, but you can't justify that for me right now," Burress said. "Just look at the whole season - it speaks for itself."