The Pittsburgh Steelers have found their replacement for linebacker James Harrison who was released in the offseason. First round draft pick Jarvis Jones and third-year veteran Jason Worilds have battled throughout the offseason workouts and training camp to earn the Week One start for the Steelers. It appears the veteran has won.
Head coach Mike Tomlin announced in a team press conference that Worilds has earned the starting spot against the Tennessee Titans. Worilds has the experience in his favor over Jones which goes a long way in the minds of the Steelers coaching staff. Worilds has spent the last three years working behind LaMarr Woodley and Harrison. He has made 10 starts for the Steelers since 2010 and has 10 sacks to his name. Worilds battled injuries over his career, but now healthy, he will get the start.
"He's completely healed, and I thought he played well in the first game and I've been pleased with what I've seen from him. We're going to need those young guys to grow and give us the outside presence in our defense," said defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau.
Tomlin noted that Jones would see playing time on Sunday in the first game, but in a more unspecified role. The team intends on taking advantage of his pass rushing skills and ability to create turnovers. LeBeau was very impressed with the work Jones did during the preseason, noting that he is developing into a very strong player for the team. He once referred to Jones as having the "it" factor but notes that his rookie status works against him.
The Steelers run a very complicated defensive scheme and while Jones showed a lot of skill, he also made a lot of mistakes.
"I'm doing a great job, but at the same time I'm a rookie," Jones said. "There's going to be a learning curve and I'm going to make some errors. I'm doing a good job of taking the process slow and learning."
Tomlin plans on running a three-man rotation at the linebacker position. Woodley will likely be taken out every few downs and Jones will replace him. He developed very quickly throughout training camp, so it will be a surprise if he does not earn a starting spot mid-way through the season.
