LATROBE, Pa. – In the end, everybody got what they wanted.
When the Steelers placed the franchise tag on LaMarr Woodley back in March, he accepted the designation and made it understood that he wanted to finish his career with the Steelers. On Friday morning, the team and the player made that happen.
Woodley signed a six-year contract that will keep him with the team through the 2016 season. A second-round draft choice in 2007, Woodley has 39 sacks in 60 career games, 47 of which were starts. Also a guy who raises his game in the playoffs, Woodley has added 11 sacks in seven career postseason appearances.
In 2009, Woodley led the team with 13.5 sacks and was voted to his first Pro Bowl, and last season he recorded 10 sacks to join James Harrison as the only players in franchise history to post double-digit sack totals in back-to-back seasons.
Woodley also set an NFL record by posting two sacks in each of his first four playoff games. Woodley's sack of Aaron Rodgers in Super Bowl XLV gave him three career sacks in Super Bowls, which ties him for second place all-time in that category.
As the Steelers franchise player, Woodley was to count $10 million on the team's 2011 salary cap, and while this deal wasn't necessary to get the team into compliance it will help them by reducing his cap number for this season.
Woodley announced the signing early on Friday morning via Twitter.
