Cut By The Browns, DB Joe Haden Signs Deal With Steelers: Report

CLEVELAND, OH — Two-time Pro-Bowler—and fan favorite—Joe Haden appears have a new team. The Cleveland Browns arch rival Pittsburgh Steelers, according to a report from ProFootballTalk.com.

Haden, a seven-year veteran with the Browns, was released by the team early Wednesday. His agent, Drew Rosenhaus, though, said he expected the defensive back to get a new contract with a different team quickly. And, indeed, it appears that happened.

The Steelers and Haden reportedly have agreed to terms on a three-year, $27 million deal. He’ll make $7 million in 2017, according to ProFootballTalk.com. Other teams that reportedly had interest in Haden included the New Orleans Saints and the Kansas City Chiefs.

The news comes just hours after the Browns cut him. (To stay up to date on local stories, subscribe to the Patch Cleveland newsletter. As news breaks and the story develops, you will be the first to receive updates from Patch.)

Sashi Brown, the Browns executive vice president of football operations, early on Wednesday thanked Haden for his commitment to the team and the community. “He has been a great teammate and a true asset to the Cleveland community,” Brown said. “These are very difficult decisions, we have the utmost respect for Joe and in my eyes, he will always be a Cleveland Brown.”

During the past two seasons, the defensive back has struggled with injuries that has limited his playing time.

The Browns selected Haden in the first round of the 201o draft, and he appeared in 90 games, including 81 as a starter. In his career, he made 376 tackles, 19 interceptions, and forced four fumbles. A Fort Washington, Md., native, Haden was a four-year quarterback in high school, but became known as defensive player as a cornerback at the University of Florida.

Off the field, Haden left a big impression with fans. In 2015, Haden was named Special Olympics’ Global Ambassador, becoming the first professional football player to ever hold that distinction.

Among his many charitable endeavors in the Cleveland area, Haden hosted numerous youth football camps and made multiple sizable donations to benefit the Greater Cleveland Food Bank. In 2010, before he even played a game for the Browns, he stood at the end of the Cleveland Marathon and greeted weary finishers as they crossed the finish line.

“Joe gave everything he had for the Cleveland Browns and that’s all you can ask for as a coach,” said Browns Head Coach Hue Jackson. “He was a leader on and off the field. I wish him all the best as he continues his career.”

Image by the Associated Press