5 most underappreciated Steelers defensive players since 2000

Steelers Defensive Player No. 5: Jason Worilds

Unlike the rest of the players on this list, Jason Worilds did not help the team win a Super Bowl ring, but he was a part of the team that lost to the Green Bay Packers in the Super Bowl.

Worilds is an interesting case, as he was a second-round pick, who took a few years to get adjusted to the NFL, but really started coming into his own in his final two years in Pittsburgh, registering eight sacks in 2013, and 7.5 sacks in 2014, while chipping in 10 tackles for loss each year.

After strong years in his fourth and fifth seasons in Pittsburgh, Worilds looked like he could be on his way to becoming the next in a long line of great Steelers pass-rushers. However, Worilds shockingly retired in 2015 to become a member of the Jehova’s Witnesses. Worilds was only 27 when he retired and was a pending free agent. The move came as such a shock due to his age and the likely raise he would get via free agency.

During his time in Pittsburgh, Worilds was only a full-time starter in 2014, as he was behind both James Harrison and Lamarr Woodley his first few seasons. However, following the 2013 season, Worilds strong play, coupled with Woodley’s declining production led the team to sign Worilds to the transition tag, while parting ways with the fan-favorite Lamarr Woodley.

Worilds is a player who Steelers fans look back on and think what could’ve been after he appeared to be coming into his own as he entered his prime in 2013.

While his career with the Steelers was short-lived, Worilds was a productive pass-rusher who very few ever talk about.