Vince Williams Announces Retirement After Eight Seasons With Steelers

It's been an up and down offseason for Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker Vince Williams, who at first was released, then brought back to the team, and now after eight seasons, says he's retiring from the NFL.

General manager Kevin Colbert made the announcement about Williams and said that he was a leader on the field who would be missed.

“Vince Williams notified us today that he will retire from the game of football,” Colbert said. “We respect his decision and want to thank him for his time with us as he consistently showed great character and leadership in addition to his contributions on the field. We wish Vince and his family all the best.”

Williams was drafted by Pittsburgh back in the 6th round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He played his whole career in the Steel City, appearing in 121 games.

He leaves the game with 479 tackles, 50 tackles for loss, 20.5 sacks and 45 QB hits — a mark that ranks 11th in franchise history.

Williams played in eight playoff games for the Steelers, collecting 26 tackles.

The team released Williams earlier this offseason, which saved the club $4 million. He came back to the team, inking a one-year deal worth just over $1 million.

Williams leaving the team will put more focus on the pickup of former Los Angeles Chargers linebacker Melvin Ingram.

Ingram, 31, inked with the Steelers on Monday after playing nine seasons with the Chargers at the left outside linebacker spot and the right defensive end spot.