Steelers receiver coach Randy Fichtner, rear, demonstrates with receiver Hines Ward how he wants the players to catch the ball during minicamp Friday.

PITTSBURGH — A practice gear bag still hangs in Larry Foote's locker. The wooden "50 Foote" nameplate remains. All that was absent Friday as the Steelers held their first mandatory practice since the Super Bowl was Larry Foote.

Not only was he missing, he was missed.

Foote, an inside linebacker who started every game the last five seasons, was one of the loudest — and most-liked — players in the Steelers' locker room. His soon-to-be former teammates related how he made a long practice seem shorter with a joke or an antic, and replacement Lawrence Timmons said Foote was the player most responsible for breaking him into the NFL.

For Foote, the Steelers gave him everything he wanted. A starting job on two Super Bowl winners. A substantial contract. A city in which he enjoyed raising his son.

Everything, that is, expect enough playing time.

Foote, unhappy at becoming a situational player who left the field on passing downs, isn't attending the Steelers' only required offseason minicamp as they try to trade him. They will release him if they don't.

It's a rare case of a starter wanting to leave the Steelers for reasons other than money, but his teammates understand Foote's reasoning. A player has only so many years in the NFL, and he wants to be on the field whenever possible during that relatively narrow window of time.

"It's tough, but that's the business part about it," cornerback Ike Taylor said. "Anybody who leaves here hates leaving. We all know it's the business. The guys we got in this locker room, you can see how close we are, what we do on and off the field, going out to eat, taking trips, just hanging out with each other."

Foote, who has one season remaining on a contract that would pay him $2.885 million this season, and cornerback Bryant McFadden are the only starters not around from the team that beat Arizona 27-23 in the Super Bowl three months ago Friday. McFadden signed with the Cardinals as a free agent.

While they effectively competed for the same job, Timmons — a 2007 first-round pick — said Foote did everything he could to make him comfortable.

"I love Larry for what he did, he always helped me," Timmons said. "Got nothing but respect for that guy. I've got nothing bad to say about him. Just a complete guy and I've got nothing but love for him."

After the minicamp for veterans and rookies ends Sunday, the Steelers have 12 days of workouts scheduled this month and next. Players are not required to attend, but nearly all do.