Pittsburgh Steelers’ Jason Worilds to Leave as Free Agent

Will Linebacker Jason Worilds stay with the Steelers once Free Agency Begins? If only it was up to the Steelers.

As i have stated in previous articles, the Steelers should be just elated that the salary cap will rise to $130 million once the new NFL calendar starts.

The Terrible Towel wavers should feel some sense of joy as Pittsburgh should be able to keep some of their key free agents including outside linebacker jason Worilds, the second round pick of 2010 draft out of Virginia Tech. With his first two years battling the injury bug, Worilds picked his fourth as a breakout year, recording 8 sacks in 2013 before his final season where he becomes an unrestricted free agent.

Key word being “unrestricted”, not just the everyday restricted player, meaning a high tender offer will not be coming from the Steelers where other teams will be scared off by having to part with high draft picks as compensation.

Yes i know, Worilds has said that he is open to re-signing with Pittsburgh, but thats is a line taken right out of the unrestricted free agent negotiation handbook. Now with out a lot of quotes and citations, i can safely state that all previous coveted players have signed with the higher bidder regardless of that teams record, it’s division or philosophies on either side of the ball. The key word here is “coveted”, and jason Worilds will certainly be.

One player that every GM and Head Coach wants is one that is able to get to the quarterback. If any player can do that eight times or more in a season, especially during a contract year, he will pretty much be able to go to Hawaii anytime he wants even if it is not for the pro-Bowl.

Sad-sack teams are a dime a dozen n the NFL these days and most of them have plenty of room under that cap to spare. these teams will be looking to make a splash in free agency and Worilds will be part of that water park. Even though the cap increase will provide the Steelers with much needed room, teams like the oakland Raiders, and Jacksonville Jaguars, even the Browns, will have gobs of money to spend. These are teams that haven’t even been close enough to get a wife of the Super Bowl in years but with an estimated $171 million under the cap a splash they will make.

Jason La Canforia, from CBS has recently stated that the Steelers will be keeping LaMarr Woodley, a highly paid and injury prone outside linebacker, while Worlids will leave during free agency. Pittsburgh has really no choice in the matter as Worilds would be a fool not to test the waters. Teams like the previously mentioned will try to use their sad-sack coffers to test the waters on Worilds and bring some emotional relief to it’s fan base. Worilds will pass this test with flying colors.

The final question will be if Worlids will continue on his rise to becoming one of the NFL’s dominate pass rushers or fall by the way side as many have before him? Hard to say what the outcome will be but this right now it is the greatest time for Jason Worilds and he doesn’t need to buy a lottery ticket to hit it big. All he has to do is sign on the dotted line and the Steelers will have no say in the matter – amazing how much money an eight sack year pays these days.