Jason Worilds dropped an unexpected bombshell last night. He retired from football. The unrestricted free agent released a statement right around midnight last night.

“I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days,” the statement read. “With that being said, after much thought and consideration I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests.

“I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision.”

The Steelers selected Worilds in the 2nd round of the 2010 draft. The team used the transition tag on the outside linebacker last year, a total value of $9.754 Mil. Worilds tied with Cam Heyward for the team high of 8 sacks.

We’re only left to speculate as to why Worilds announced his retirement last night, 8 hours after the start of free agency. A report came out yesterday afternoon indicating that at least one team thought his asking price was way too high.  A source was quoted as saying- “We’re not paying $1 million per sack.”

The Steelers released a statement this morning regarding his retirement. “We respect his decision to retire and thank him for his five years in Pittsburgh. We wish him the best in his future endeavors.”

One underlying consequence of his retirement for the Steelers is the loss of a potentially higher compensatory pick next year.