Steelers Free Agent Grades: A bad midseason only got worse

Chris Wormley

Grade: C-

While Chris Wormley had a slow start to the season, his play quickly picked up down the stretch. He served as the primary defensive end backup for the team, rotating in and out with the starters in order to keep them fresh. That said, he ended up playing the majority of snaps in the season finale against Cleveland. He compiled a sack, his only one of the season, but he continued his solid run defense in the game.

The issue with his final grade is two-fold though. One, he earned a pretty penny this season, as he qualified for the proven performance escalator on his rookie deal. He made over two million dollars this year, quite a lot for a reserve that never truly started a game. As well, he was acquired via a trade from the Ravens. The compensation was minimal, but it still required moving back in the draft.

Overall, Wormley was a fine but not great addition for the Steelers. He cost quite a bit to bring in, and while his play wasn’t bad, it was far from perfect. The best-case scenario now is for Wormley to get a big enough contract in free agency to earn a compensatory pick in 2022. His stay with the Steelers will likely be short, but he did what he needed to do. The issue was that he cost just a little too much for the value he brought in.