Pittsburgh Steelers Lock Up LaMarr Woodley

by Matt Shetler

If there were a book to teach athletes how to act entering their final contract year, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker LaMarr Woodley likely wrote it. Without a doubt, Woodley’s play from the time he entered the NFL likely warranted a long-term deal from the Steelers.

However, Woodley is in the minority when it comes on how to handle such situations. Believe me, I’m all for players getting as much as they can, but the way the All-Pro linebacker got his money was something special. He didn’t cry, whine, or complain. He didn’t bitch and moan. he didn’t make threats to the press or threaten to hold out. Instead Woodley kept his mouth shut and let his play do the talking for him.

All Woodley did was post another double-digit sack season and prove why signing him to a long-term deal should have been the Steelers top priority.

And it was, probably just not the way Woodley would have liked it. Clearly inking both Woodley and cornerback Ike Taylor to long-term deals were the organization’s top two priorities before the lockout.

Nothing happened on the Taylor front before that time, but the Steelers hit Woodley with the franchise tag, clearly not the contract Woodley was looking to sign. Yet again, Woodley kept his mouth shut and showed nothing but class during the lockout.

The patience paid off as Woodley tweeted early Friday morning to let fans know he signed a six-year, $61.5 million deal that will likely make him a Steeler his entire career.

The contract makes Woodley one of the highest paid players at his position and gives the Steelers a little cap relief in the process. When camp began, the Steelers were  $10 million over the cap, a figure that also included Woodley’s $10 million franchise tag. Woodley’s new deal is front-loaded with bonus money to give the Steelers some immediate cap relief.

The move to lock up Woodley is also big considering that eight members of the Steelers projected starting defense enter the 2011 season at 30 years of age or older. Someday soon, Woodley will likely be the leader of a future Steelers defense that features youngsters such as Lawrence Timmons, Cameron Heyward, and Ziggy Hood.

That day may come sooner rather than later and that’s fine by Woodley, who does things off the field the same way he does them on it. Very classy.

Tweet