The biggest question for the Steelers this offseason was what they were going to do with oft-injured outside linebacker LaMarr Woodley, though the writing appeared to be on the wall when Jason Worilds was transition tagged.
The team has finally answered that question, and will officially release Woodley tomorrow as a post-June 1 designation.
Steelers will release LB LaMarr Woodley at 4 ET Tuesday, designate him a post June 1 casualty, per source. He will be free to sign Tuesday.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 10, 2014
Woodley ranks fifth on the team's all-time sack list, and was off to one of the best starts for his position in team history. After the Steelers selected him in the second round of the 2007 NFL Draft, Woodley assumed a starting position in 2008 and became the first player in NFL history to record 1.5 sacks or more in four consecutive playoff games, helping the Steelers claim their sixth Super Bowl championship in franchise history.
Woodley was well on his way to one of the best defensive seasons in the league when he pulled a hamstring chasing down New England's Tom Brady in a Week 8 game in 2011. Woodley never recovered that season, and perhaps not even in his career.
He's been ravaged by injuries since then, causing him to miss nearly half the Steelers games since that time. He missed the team's last four games in 2013 with injury, and was placed on injured reserve.
His release means the Steelers will save approximately $8 million on this year's salary cap, but that money isn't available until after June 1. Presumably, it will be used to free up space to sign the team's draft class, and could help extend a veteran.