Chris Wormley could be the biggest beneficiary of Steelers training camp

Stephon Tuitt has dealt with an undisclosed injury all summer. Here’s why Chris Wormley could be the biggest beneficiary of Steelers training camp. 

Steelers 2021 training camp at Heinz Field is in the books, and there are plenty of takeaways heading into the season. However, one player who often flies under the radar when talking about some of the bright spots on Pittsburgh is defensive lineman Chris Wormley.

Wormley, a former 3rd round pick (74th overall) by the Baltimore Ravens in 2017 was traded to the Pittsburgh Steelers before the 2021 season. As Wormley entered a contract year last season, many assumed his addition to the team was essential going to be a one-year rental for the cost of a fifth and seventh-round pick swap with Baltimore. However, the big defensive lineman elected to re-sign with Pittsburgh on a two-year deal this offseason.

That deal pays him just $4.5 million over the next two seasons, according to Over the Cap, and has a chance to be one of the best contracts on the team. After signing his new deal, the Steelers are clearly already getting their use out of Wormley. Starting defensive lineman Stephon Tuitt has been sidelined with an undisclosed injury all training camp – forcing him to work individually and keeping him out of team sessions.

Wormley takes advantage of opportunities with Steelers

Wormley was able to turn Tuitt’s misfortune into a great opportunity. All summer long, Wormley has been running with the first-team defense alongside Cameron Heyward and Tyson Alualu in Tuitt’s place. This is a great experience for the defensive lineman who was only ever a part-time player in Baltimore.

Over his first four seasons, Wormley has been known for his ability to two-gap. In other words, to hold his man at the line of scrimmage in an effort to defend the run. At this, Wormley has been quite good. However, his production has been severely lacking. Over his first four seasons, Wormley has been credited with just 3.5 sacks and 5 tackles for a loss, according to Pro Football Reference. These are numbers he will soon hope to improve on.

We know the athleticism is all there for Wormley. Despite his insanely good size as a 5-technique at 6’5” and 300 pounds, Wormley tested as a 97th percentile athlete coming out of Michigan in 2017, according to his Relative Athletic Score. While he may not play up to his testing numbers, he flashed is athletic traits this summer.

Because of Tuitt’s extended absence, there is starting to look like there could be a solid chance that Chris Wormley opens the season as the starting defensive lineman next to Cameron Heyward. Taking all of the first-team reps this offseason is sure to help him get prepared for this opportunity.

Obviously, we all want Stephon Tuitt back as soon as possible for the Steelers, as he’s certainly one of the best players on the team. However, with all of the work Wormley has put in this summer, he may get the chance to impress the coaching staff early in the season if Tuitt isn’t ready to go.