The drama between the Pittsburgh Steelers and OLB Jason Worilds was unable to reach full froth, as the 26-year-old pass rusher has agreed to the $9.754 million tender offer presented to him via the transitional tag. The door is now open for Worilds to return to the Steelers in 2014 with an even newer, long-term contract that is currently being worked on by the team and Worilds agents.
The Steelers had used the transitional designation on Worilds on Monday. With free agency starting next week, the transition tag would have given the Steelers five days to match any offer from an outside team. In February, the NFL had set the monetary levels of both franchise and transitional tag players by position. For instance, a franchised QB would receive a one-year tender of $16.192, while a transitional linebacker would receive $9.574. The numbers are based off of the top ten salaries at each respective position.
By signing the tender, Worilds has put his faith in the franchise to negotiate a fair, long-term deal, while also allowing the team a chance to get further under the $133 million salary cap. He can do so by agreeing to a long-term deal that supersedes the one-year tender, giving up a few million dollars now for a chance at extended stability and larger yearly salaries towards the end of his deal. The Steelers will now begin work on other ways to get under the cap, including possibly releasing veteran CB Ike Taylor, or working to renegotiate current deals with SS Troy Polamalu and QB Ben Roethlisberger. The team is in the process of agreeing on a new contract extension with TE Heath Miller, which the Steelers have yet to announce as finalized despite other reports.
The importance of keeping Worilds cannot be underestimated. Had he walked as an unrestricted free agent, the Steelers would have been left with just LaMarr Woodley, Jarvis Jones and Chris Carter at outside linebacker. Woodley is coming off another injury-riddled season and may end up being cut outright now; although that would save just $580,000 on the cap for 2014. Both Jones and Carter are essentially unproven commodities. Worilds is coming off a season in which he seemed to come into his own, registering an eight-sack season while spending the majority of the season in the starting lineup. He now seems poised to become the next in a line of great Steelers outside linebackers.
Jason Worilds was drafted by the Steelers in the second round of the 2010 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech. The 6-foot 2, 262lb. pass-rusher fits the mold of the position under long time defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau and will now head into offseason minicamps and training camp this summer under the watchful eye of new Steelers Defensive Assistant Joey Porter.
