At the beginning of the year, Jason Worilds looked to be unseated by first-year player, Jarvis Jones. Furthermore, Worilds was the man to replace All-Pro linebacker and Super Bowl hero, James Harrison. Through 11 games into the 2013 season, things have changed for Worilds in Pittsburgh: He has claimed his spot as a starting outside linebacker and with his frequent contributions as of late, he looks to be the man to replace Harrison.
On Sunday, Worilds made himself some serious money in Pittsburgh’s 27-11 trouncing of the Cleveland Browns. Worilds only finished with a modest five tackles on the day, but he was without question the most disruptive player for the Steelers. Worilds absolutely terrorized the Browns offensive line en route to recording six quarterback hits.
Worilds is a free agent this offseason, and four games into the season, Worilds was playing his way out of Pittsburgh. On the flip side, Worilds could still be playing his way out of Pittsburgh, as his play of late will almost certainly attract other suitors. The Steelers and Worilds would be wise to come to an agreement. For the Steelers, it’s quite simple; since 2001 only, two rookies have started for Dick Lebeau. Jarvis Jones is an incredible athlete, but he needs time to learn the system. Secondly, LaMarr Woodley has had a hard time staying healthy for the Steelers and having quality depth is key in success. For Worilds, this is the team that believed in him from the start of training camp to replace Harrison. Furthermore, this is the team that developed and polished him into becoming an NFL player.
Then again, the same could be said for Keenan Lewis. The Steelers developed Lewis into a solid, physical shutdown corner who had a break out year in 2012. Lewis was also in a contract year and also attracted other suitors. On March 14, Lewis signed a five-year, 26 million dollar deal with the New Orleans Saints. In my opinion, the Steelers made a costly error letting Lewis go, as he was a young, promising star in the NFL with a ton of upside.
Worilds is going to get paid at the end of the season. For the Steelers, it is imperative to sign Worilds for the obvious fact that the Steelers would have little to no depth without him. So it would make sense to get Worilds signed to a contract similar as to what the Steelers did with James Harrison in 2006; a mid-level contract with guaranteed money. More importantly, a guaranteed spot on a team with the opportunity to become a mainstay for years to come.
