Steelers re-sign veteran LB Vince Williams

The Steelers have agreed to re-sign Vince Williams, via ESPN.com’s Jeremy Fowler. The linebacker had other offers, Fowler hears, but he ultimately chose to stay in Pittsburgh. 

The Steelers cut Williams earlier this year to save $4M against the salary cap. It wasn’t an easy call for Kevin Colbert & Co., as Williams had spent his entire eight-year career in black and gold.

After entering the league as a sixth-round pick in 2013, Williams spent the early part of his career as a part-timer. But, for the last four years, he’s served as a starter. In 2020, he appeared in 14 games (all starts), racking up 70 tackles, 14 for a loss and three sacks. His most noteworthy season came in 2017, when he notched eight sacks despite lining up as an inside linebacker.

The remainder of Williams’ last deal — a three-year extension worth $18.6M — was too rich for the Steelers’ blood, but he managed to find middle ground with management. Now, he’ll look to add to his career tallies of 479 tackles and 20.5 sacks while staying with the only team he’s ever known.