Vince Williams hinted at his departure from the Pittsburgh Steelers with a cryptic tweet Monday night.
“I can hear the streets calling,” Williams wrote.
On Tuesday, the Steelers sent Williams to the unemployment line when they terminated the contract of the eight-year veteran inside linebacker.
Williams had one year remaining on his contract. His release clears $4 million in salary cap space for the Steelers that the team will need for free agency, which officially opens Wednesday after the two-day legal tampering period.
A sixth-round pick in the 2013 NFL Draft, Williams spent most of the past four seasons as a starter. He started 14 games for the Steelers last year and had 70 tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries. Williams missed two games in December because of a stay on the reserve/covid-19 list.
The release of Williams thins the Steelers at inside linebacker. Devin Bush, who is entering his third season, is returning from a torn ACL that limited him to five games in 2020. Avery Williamson, acquired from the New York Jets in a midseason trade, is an unrestricted free agent. Robert Spillane, who stepped into a starting role after Bush’s injury, will return once he signs his exclusive rights tender.
Williams had a career-high eight sacks in 2017 and totaled 20.5 sacks in his Steelers career.
