Is the NFL career of former Pittsburgh Steelers inside linebacker Lawrence Timmons now over? It’s hard to say for sure but with that, the Steelers former first-round draft pick is currently unemployed following his release from the Miami Dolphins this past March. For now, Timmons is still in wait-and-see mode, according to Scott Chancey of the Florence News.
“I’ve just got to wait it out and keep working out and see where it gets me, and hope for the best,” said Timmons last weekend while hosting his free youth football camp at his alma mater in Florence, South Carolina, Wilson High School.
Timmons, who signed a two-year, $12 million free agent contract with the Dolphins in March of 2017 after spending his first 10 NFL seasons in Pittsburgh with the Steelers, was released this past March after just one season in Miami that included him being suspended for a week after he reportedly went uncharacteristically AWOL the day before the team’s regular season opener at the Los Angeles Chargers. That missed game against the Chargers broke Timmons’ streak of 101 consecutive starts, the longest current streak of any defensive player in the NFL during that time span.
While Timmons was ultimately reinstated by the Dolphins and went on to start the remaining 14 games of the regular season, the 84 total tackles he registered was his lowest amount since 2009, the last season that he missed a game. He also failed to register a sack last season and the last time he failed to do that during a season was in 2007, his first year in the NFL.
With all 32 NFL teams now close to wrapping up their offseason practices ahead the long layoff before the start of training camp, it’s very unlikely that Timmons will find a new home soon and while he waits, he’ll just try to keep himself in a good frame of mind.
“I’ve never been through this before, so I don’t know. This is a first for me,” Timmons said last week. “I’ve got to wait it out and see how it goes. Just keep it positive. That’s all I’m trying to do.”
While Timmons would probably like to return to Pittsburgh for one final season with his former team, that chances of that ultimately happening are currently very slim and would likely require a few injuries to happen at the inside linebacker position before such a signing would even be considered.
“Pittsburgh has always been a home to me. I’d been there for 10 years. So, it’s all love, there,” Timmons said, when told that several Steelers fans on Twitter are hoping for a reunion between him and the team that drafted him.
Should Timmons’ career ultimately indeed be over for good, he should be fine from a financial standpoint as he’s earned close to $70 million to date. From an accomplishment standpoint, Timmons should also be somewhat content as he was part of one Super Bowl winning team in addition to playing in one other Super Bowl. Timmons was also a Pro Bowler in 2014 and a voted a Second-Team All-Pro that same season.
