Chris Wormley recently suffered a significant knee injury, and he may have already played his last game as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Pittsburgh’s game against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 14 was a disappointment on so many levels. Not only did the Steelers fall to a divisional opponent in a must-win game, but rookie quarterback, Kenny Pickett, suffered his second concussion of the season and fans need to start worrying about future head injuries.
The loss essentially eliminated Mike Tomlin’s team from playoff contention, as they now have just a 0.2 percent chance of making the tournament. Unfortunately, these aren’t the only tidbits of bad news.
Late in the game against Baltimore, Steelers defensive lineman, Chris Wormley, went down in pain, grasping his left knee. Tomlin hinted following the game that his injury was ‘significant.’ On Tuesday evening, NFL Insider Ian Rapoport confirmed that it was a torn ACL for Wormley. The team officially placed him on IR on Wednesday morning.
Steelers Chris Wormley could be finished in Pittsburgh
The ACL tear effectively ends Chris Wormley’s 2022 season with the Pittsburgh Steelers, as he will soon begin the road to recovery from a major knee injury. However, we may have already seen the last of him in black and gold.
Wormley is a 29-year-old defensive tackle who proved to be an excellent addition in a pick-swap trade with the Baltimore Ravens back in 2020. He was an ideal insurance policy for Pittsburgh, as Stephon Tuitt would retire following the 2020 season.
Sadly, there are plenty of reasons to believe that Wormley’s time in Pittsburgh has come to an end. He not only has a long road to recovery that will likely take him into the summer of 2023, but he will also turn 30 years old next season. These are two big factors for a team that needs to rebuild and get younger on the interior defensive line.
Another determining factor is the fact that Wormley also has an expiring contract following the 2022 season. Though the price to retain him would come cheap (especially coming off an ACL tear), the Steelers may determine that it’s just not worth it for an older player fresh off a season-ending injury.
If this were to be it for the veteran defensive tackle, Wormley recorded 88 tackles and 8.5 sacks during his three seasons in Pittsburgh, according to ESPN stats.
Chris Wormley was a great addition to this team at a low cost, and he gave the Pittsburgh Steelers a few good years. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end, and the sun may have set on Wormley in the Steel City.