Brett Keisel agrees to contract with Pittsburgh Steelers
After declining to visit the Arizona Cardinals earlier on Tuesday, veteran defensive lineman Brett Keisel reached an agreement to remain with the Pittsburgh Steelers, according to Adam Schefter.
Steelers and DE Brett Keisel have reached agreement. Keisel back to Pittsburgh, per league source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 19, 2014
Keisel, 35, has been a fixture at defensive end for the past eight years for the Steelers, starting 110 games over that span. The 2010 Pro Bowl selection is famous for his long and thick beard, but he has quietly been one of the best 3-4 ends in the NFL over the last decade.
Limited to 12 games last season, Keisel had 29 total tackles with four sacks, one forced fumble and two fumble recoveries.
He had an offer on the table from the Cardinals where Steelers players have come to retire over the past few years, especially when Ken Whisenhunt and Russ Grimm were on the staff in the desert and again with another former Steelers coordinator in Bruce Arians the head coach.
The move is as much a move to keep the continuity in the locker room and for Keisel to mentor some of the younger members on that defense, like Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones, among others, and show them what it takes to be a professional.
This is a win-win as Keisel didn’t have to take part in the early training camp workouts and can use the rest of the preseason to get his legs underneath him and get in game shape before the regular season begins.