It's not often an NFL player retires in what could be considered the prime of his career, but linebacker Jason Worilds did just that.

The Steelers issued a statement in regards to their former second-round draft pick, who was an unrestricted free agent. 

"We respect his decision to retire and thank him for his five years in Pittsburgh. We wish him the best in his future endeavors."

Worilds, who was garnering interest from teams in the free agent market, brought his career to an end via a statement released by his player representative.

"I appreciate all of the interest from the organizations that have reached out to us the past few days," Worilds statement read. "With that being said, after much thought and consideration I have chosen to step away from football as I have opted to pursue other interests.

"I am especially grateful of the opportunity to play before some of the greatest fans in football today. Despite any concern and speculation that may ensue, I appreciate those that are respectful of my decision."

Worilds, the 52nd overall pick in the 2010 NFL Draft, played in 73 regular season games and three postseason contests. He had 25.5 career sacks, with a career-high eight in 2013.

He finished his career with 177 total tackles, four forced fumbles, three passes defensed, two fumble recoveries and one interception.

Worilds started all 16 games in 2014, the first time in his career he started a full season, and finished the year with 57 tackles (39 solo stops) and seven and a half sacks.