Steelers Reportedly Sign Veteran CB Joe Haden to 2-Year Contract Extension
By Mark Powell
The Pittsburgh Steelers secondary issues are a thing of the past.
The Steelers eventually solved their inability to cover some of the best receivers in football by signing longtime Cleveland Browns CB Joe Haden away from their division rival, and adding Steven Nelson this offseason.
Now, Pittsburgh wants to ensure that Haden remains in Pittsburgh long-term, signing for Florida Gators alum to a two-year contract extension.
Joe Haden and Steelers reach agreement on two-year extension worth $22 million with $16.8 million signing bonus, per source. Both sides worked on this one for much of August.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) September 2, 2019
Pittsburgh very rarely negotiates with their players during the season, making it a priority to agree to an extension with Haden during the offseason. The start of the 2019 campaign is a mere days away at this point, so Haden and the Steelers were very much up against the clock.
The #Steelers and veteran CB Joe Haden are in agreement on a contract extension that keeps him in Pittsburgh and pays him $22M over 2 years, sources say. He gets a $16.8M signing bonus.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 2, 2019
Haden is as close to lockdown cornerback as Pittsburgh has. In two seasons as a Steeler, Haden has secured three interceptions while performing up to the high standard expected in a system which puts much onus on the outside cover-men.
Age was surely a factor as to the overall length of Haden's contract, since he's currently 30 and not getting any younger. Still, the signing bonus and AAV make this a win-win for both sides.