The Steelers are at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, informally known as the South Side facility, nearing the end of the regular season. It’s where they otherwise train all year round, and the facility that Burt Lauten insists everybody refers to by its full name.
There are still unsettled questions that need answering, even deep into the year. They entered the process with questions in the starting lineup, in scheme, and elsewhere, but new problems always arise that need to be resolved.
Even questions about who’s starting and when may not have satisfactory answers in their finality, as midseason changes are certainly quite possible, for some positions more than others. We’re also feeling out how the new coordinator posts—or posts in new contexts—end up playing out.
There’s never any shortage of questions when it comes to football, and we’ll be discussing them here on a daily basis for the community to “talk amongst yourselves”, as Linda Richman might say on Coffee Talk.
Question: Has Chris Wormley played his last snap as a Steeler?
The Steelers officially placed defensive lineman Chris Wormley on the Reserve/Injured List earlier this week. He will be an unrestricted free agent in March. Will he ever play another snap for the Steelers again?
Originally acquired via trade in 2020, the former third-round pick has spent the past three years in Pittsburgh. He played out the final year of his rookie deal that season and then re-signed in 2021 on a two-year deal as an unrestricted free agent, that deal now coming to completion at the end of this season.
Since joining Pittsburgh, he has played in 41 games with 16 starts, 14 of them coming last year when Stephon Tuitt spent the season on the Reserve/Injured List. He registered 88 tackles in that span including 10 for loss with 8.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and three batted passes.
Most fans have accepted the premise that Wormley is bad, placing much of the blame for the shortfalls of the defense last year on his shoulders since he was thrust into the starting lineup. I would imagine that the majority would be happy to see him move on to another team.
But this is a question about what the Steelers are likely to do, not what the majority of fans would like to see the team do. Pittsburgh’s coaching staff obviously has a higher opinion of Wormley than does the fanbase as a whole, at least the more vocal segment.
He’s managed to log over 1200 defensive snaps for the team, including over 300 this year, but may well have played his final game as a Steelers going up against his former team, the Baltimore Ravens, who were willing to trade him in-division.
They did draft DeMarvin Leal in the third round last year, but Tyson Alualu is likely at the end of his road and Larry Ogunjobi is going to be a free agent as well. Isaiahh Loudermilk’s playing time has diminished. This team is going to need depth next year. Will Wormley be a part of that, and at what price?Canada On QB Room ‘We’re In As Good A Spot As We Could Be’
