PITTSBURGH -- On the eve of the Pittsburgh Steelers' first training camp practice, veteran inside linebacker Vince Williams informed the team of his retirement Wednesday.

Williams, 31, played eight seasons with the organization after being selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL draft.

Williams was initially released by the team in March because of cap constraints, but he was re-signed in April on a one-year veteran minimum deal.

Some of Williams' teammates on defense, including T.J. Watt and Joe Haden, posted their reactions on social media later Wednesday.

Congratulations on a phenomenal career !! I'm lucky to have shared the field with you! https://t.co/BLjS9k0kiP

— TJ Watt () July 21, 2021

The former Florida State player emerged as a team leader in Pittsburgh and started 69 of 121 career games, racking up 20.5 sacks, 479 combined tackles and 50 tackles for loss.

His role in 2021 was likely to be reduced with the emergence of Robert Spillane, who stepped up last season when former top-10 pick Devin Bush tore his ACL.

Beyond Spillane and Bush, the Steelers will likely look to rookie Buddy Johnson and safety-turned-inside linebacker Marcus Allen for depth at the position -- but with a strong camp, a fully healthy Ulysees Gilbert III could also land a roster spot to round out the group.