Jason Worilds stepping away from football

[tbsteel]

WOW!

https://twitter.com/JB_XAM

[Legacy User]

Wow, indeed.

I think a lot of these guys are starting to take to heart the warnings about the toll football will take on their bodies and minds. They don't want to end up crippled with dementia for a few extra million dollars when, if they're smart with their money, they're already set for life.

[Kodiak]

No disrespect intended, but I think he's drunk/high or may have been hacked

But that would be amazing, and you would have to respect a guy grabbing one big payday and then leaving. He could have gone the Woodley route but is taking the high road.

If he's smart financially, he's set for life.

[tbsteel]

Per Peaches on Twitter, just for some context, Worilds is retiring to "pursue his faith and explore other options."

Retiring at 27.

I have no idea what to make of this.

[BethlehemSteel]

Yes wow, or a ploy to sign later after gauging market and missing camp? Head scratcher

[bradshaw2ben]

Joining ISIS


I kid


Flabbergasted. Seems real, but who knows.

[tbsteel]

Apparently his family is really involved in political activism as well per the Twitter verse. Seems like it's likely a religious deal.

Very interesting.

Either way, wish the guy luck. That's a huge decision to walk away from the kind of money he was looking at.

[Aussie_steeler]

Did Colbert send the retirement text to the wrong player???

Guess that screws the team out of a compensation pick next year.

The transition tag last year is looking like a smart decision. Imagine having Worilds on the roster for a few more years with his heart not in it.

[tbsteel]

Joining ISIS


I kid

Word is that he's asking to bunk with Mendenhall.

[bradshaw2ben]

Guess that screws the team out of a compensation pick next year.

[smithessmokin]

Guess that screws the team out of a compensation pick next year.

Does it? Fuck me.

[Aussie_steeler]

I thought Kevin Costner's Draft Day movie was unbelievable but

todays event made that movie look believable.

What a strange ass day in the NFL ( Near F*ckin Lunacy)

[Kodiak]

The transition tag last year is looking like a smart decision. Imagine having Worilds on the roster for a few more years with his heart not in it.

I highly doubt they made no effort to sign Worilds last year. I'm sure he could have walked away with more money under that deal, but would have had to play 2 years without coming out much further ahead.. And perhaps he had the character to not accept a deal he had no intention of playing out.

[Aussie_steeler]

The transition tag last year is looking like a smart decision. Imagine having Worilds on the roster for a few more years with his heart not in it.

I highly doubt they made no effort to sign Worilds last year. I'm sure he could have walked away with more money under that deal, but would have had to play 2 years without coming out much further ahead.. And perhaps he had the character to not accept a deal he had no intention of playing out.

Kudos to the man if he did.

[Kodiak]

Kudos to the man if he did.

Yeah, a lot of respect for that. Even a middling deal last year would have gotten him at least what the tag did in base + bonus, and then a base this year of at least $5-$6M. And if they had been offering something in the ballpark of Kruger's deal...$13M up front, plus $7M guaranteed base the following year (which Worilds would have forfeited retiring).

[Legacy User]

Unreal.. and there goes a resigning or comp pick. Fuck.

[Kodiak]

The fork just fell out of Woodley's hand when he read this

[Legacy User]

Didn't expect this at all. I wish him well

[rooneytunes]

Wow. 27. Willis, Locker and now one of ours. Crazy

[Legacy User]

Well at least we won't be resigning him. Was never really a fan, he just seemed consistently mediocre to me,

[Stallworth16]

Worilds is passing up what? $25 million. In this age of greed, I respect a guy who can walk away for whatever reason. If this is a permenant retirement, time will tell.

Worilds had his good games but he was no Deebo.

Sign Deebo Now!!!

[Kodiak]

I can appreciate he may have been struggling with this decision....I just hope it didn't screw PIT out of a quality FA sitting on money hoping to sign Worilds.

To be fair, I haven't seen any FA deals yet that would have made sense for PIT. If you have the cap (PIT doesn't) and you're just a difference maker away (which PIT isn't), then by all means go overpay a prized FA.

We all know the window on Ben is closing, but PIT is investing a young, pretty promising core and the dead money/overpaid guys is mostly burned off after 2016...that's when they could make a big FA splash to get over the hump.

[Stillerz Bar]

Per Peaches on Twitter, just for some context, Worilds is retiring to "pursue his faith and explore other options."

Retiring at 27.

I have no idea what to make of this.

http://espn.go.com/nfl/story/_/id/12459 ... ent-status

Bizarre - I read else where he is going to "pursue his faith and explore other options." Not sure exactly what that means but if he was able to get one really big pay day (something like $9 mil last year + his initial rookie deal) and be smart enough to keep the money & be financially sound while walking away then good for him.

That said, I’m still not entirely certain it doesn’t have something to do with him overestimating his value. Didn’t someone post earlier in the day that he told the Giants the amount he wanted and was told he wasn’t going to get “a million per sack.”

Either way, I wish him the best. He wasn’t a great producer over a long period of time but he did make a contribution to winning the division last year.

[Legacy User]

Jason WorildsVerified account ‏@WorildsGreatest

@JasonLaCanfora "A spiritual awakening".. Really?..

[Kodiak]

Probably a case where he wasn't very interested in playing, but if someone was going to throw stupid money at him he's not an idiot.

Of course, it's hard to fathom being willing to play for, say $12M but not $8M.

[Legacy User]

Big difference between high character guys and guys that live for football.

Colberts greatest strength is finding the ABs, Beachums and Bells. One of his biggest weakness's is the inability to sort the Mendenhalls, Shazpussys, and Woirlds...because football was a means to an end for these guys.

[Stillerz Bar]

Probably a case where he wasn't very interested in playing, but if someone was going to throw stupid money at him he's not an idiot.

Of course, it's hard to fathom being willing to play for, say $12M but not $8M.

Guess it’s all relative - I’m pretty sure he could have gotten $5-$6 mil / yr and to almost any non athlete that is “stupid money.” I seriously doubt he’ll find a way to make anywhere near that in the real world. However, if he socked away most of what he earned in the NFL he’s got a very solid nest egg but it’s hard to imagine how adding another $15-$30 mil won’t make it more solid. Hope it works out for him.

[Legacy User]

This is a "I didn't get what I think I'm worth" temper tantrum. Nothing more, nothing less. Chalk this up to being another totally wasted draft pick. Can we sign Harrison now, and draft a kid?

[Legacy User]

Everything RON said is on the money. He was out actively looking for a deal all day yesterday and now he knows what the NFL thinks he's worth. I wish him the best, but I'm damn glad the Steelers did not panic and overpay this guy. James and a rook to go with Moats and Jarvis.

[Kodiak]

This is a "I didn't get what I think I'm worth" temper tantrum. Nothing more, nothing less.

I'm sure that's a factor to some degree. But the statement was released by his agent, whom I'm sure spent days/week trying to talk him off the ledge. There's no walking that back - if he has any interest in playing at all he's probably just destroyed over half his value.

Maybe he has some family issues to deal with, as well. It's very odd, but I'd guess it's more than just a tantrum.