In 2014 the Pittsburgh Steelers tagged Jason Worilds, paying him $9.754 million to ensure he wouldn't play in other colors. They won't take the same route in 2015.
According to ESPN's Scott Brown the Steelers have no plans on using the transition tag on the outside linebacker, per a league source.
Worilds will hit the open market on March 10 as one of the top pass rushers. If Justin Houston gets tagged by the Kansas City Chiefs, Worilds would become the top 3-4 outside linebacker available -- a position several teams need to fill.
The Steelers want to retain Worilds, who general manager Kevin Colbert has called an "ascending player," just not at the escalating one-year price the tag would cost.
Pittsburgh has reportedly been restructuring contracts to create cap room in the immediate future -- including offensive tackle Marcus Gilbert and safety Mike Mitchell. According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette's Ed Bouchette, the cap space wasn't created with Ben Roethlisberger's new contract in mind, but rather an effort to re-sign Worilds and other free agents.
A dearth of pass rushers in the NFL could lead the Steelers into a bidding war for the 26-year-old. However, with Jarvis Jones as the only other rusher on the roster, Pittsburgh can't afford to let their leading sack-producer over the past two seasons (15.5) walk out the door.
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