The Steelers have re-signed linebacker Steven Johnson to a one-year deal, the club announced today. Johnson had been set to become an unrestricted free agent when the new league year begins on March 9.
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Johnson, 28, agreed to one-year deal with Pittsburgh last spring, was subsequently cut during the summer, then re-signed with the Steelers once fellow linebacker Bud Dupree went down with injury. While he didn’t play a single defensive snap during the 2016 campaign, Johnson did see action on 101 special teams snaps before being placed on injured reserve in November with an ankle issue.
Although he’ll likely serve in a special teams capacity once again in 2017, Johnson has a chance to see more playing time given that Lawrence Timmons and Jarvis Jones could both leave via free agency. Johnson, An undrafted free agent out of Kansas in 2012, Johnson spent time with the Broncos and Titans before joining the Steelers last year.
The Steelers have been the most active team in terms of re-signing their own free agents thus far in 2017, as they’ve agreed to new deals with Chris Boswell, Cobi Hamilton, Roosevelt Nix, Anthony Chickillo, and several others already this year.