Report: Steelers expected to sign Joe Haden for $27 million
By Tre LyDay
The Pittsburgh Steelers were quick to add to their secondary.
The Pittsburgh Steelers were absolutely shredded by the New England Patriots last season in the AFC Championship Game, and on Wednesday they added former Pro-Bowl cornerback Joe Haden to help bolster their secondary.
It didn’t take long for Haden to find a new home after he was released by the Cleveland Browns earlier Wednesday morning. The deal is for three years and $27 million with $7 million of it this year.
Steelers are expected to sign former Browns CB Joe Haden to a three-year, $27 million deal, including $7M this year, sources told ESPN.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 30, 2017
The Steelers moved quickly after Haden was released and they weren’t the only ones calling about his services.
The Kansas City Chiefs and New Orleans Saints were reportedly expected to have strong interest in Haden once he hit the market. He did have bigger offers from other teams, but in the end chose the Steelers because that’s where he wanted to be.
The Steelers are hoping that Haden can get back to his Pro Bowl form, and help a secondary that was ranked 16th in pass defense last season. The biggest problem that Haden has had the past couple season is injuries have derailed his last two seasons.
He was limited to only five games in 2015 because of a concussion, and missed three games last season due to a reoccurring groin injury. When healthy though, Haden is one the best the league has to offer.
His rookie year was by far his best when he allowed a 50.1 rating according to Pro Football Focus. That rating was good for fourth best amongst all corners. The past two seasons have been shaky though as he’s allowed a 158.2 and 97.7 ratings, which ranked 117th and 72nd respectively.
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The Steelers still feel Haden is an elite corner in the league, and he feels he still has a lot of game left. Hopefully the Steelers get what they paid for.