Hours after he was released by the Cleveland Browns on Wednesday, two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Joe Haden agreed to a three-year, $27 million deal with the Steelers, according to the NFL Network.
Haden is guaranteed to make $7 million in the first year of his new contract, the same amount Cleveland was seeking to pay him before cutting him. The Cowboys, Saints, and Colts were among the teams that were also interested in signing Haden.
A 2010 first-round pick, Haden signed a six-year, $74.678 million deal in 2014 but has struggled to find consistency since. He has played in just 18 games since the end of the 2014 season, with three interceptions and 13 pass breakups in that span. Haden is one of only two NFL players with more than 100 pass breakups since 2010.
It’s not surprising the Steelers went after him so aggressively. Pittsburgh had the league’s 16th-ranked pass defense last season (242.6 yards per game) and ranked No. 24 in completion percentage allowed (64.6).
Haden won’t have to wait long to play the Browns — his first game with the Steelers will be in Cleveland Sept. 10.
Suspension reduced
Bengals linebacker Vontaze Burfict had his NFL suspension reduced from five to three games for his egregious hit on a Chiefs running back during a preseason game.
During the second preseason game, Burfict leveled running back Anthony Sherman on a pass play when he wasn’t the intended target.
Burfict appealed and had two games shaved off the punishment. He’ll miss home games against the Ravens and Texans and a road game against the Packers. He’ll be eligible to return for a game in Cleveland on Oct. 1.
It’s the second straight season Burfict has been suspended for the first three games. He was suspended last season for his hit to Antonio Brown’s head during a 2015 playoff loss to the Steelers.
Game canceled
The Texans headed home to flood-ravaged Houston after their final preseason game against the Cowboys was canceled on Wednesday.
‘‘We’ve got several members of our travel party — our coaches, our players, our staff members — whose families have been evacuated,’’ general manager Rick Smith said. ‘‘There is so much devastation in the city and the region and we want to be part of the recovery process.’’
The game scheduled for Thursday had been moved from Houston to the home of the Cowboys because of widespread flooding in the Houston area in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The decision to cancel the game altogether was announced when the Texans said local authorities had found a safe route for the team to drive the 250 miles home.
Smith said Wednesday was the first day they had the option to return to Houston and the team felt it was better to go home than to try to play a game on Thursday.
‘‘When it became available to us, we’ve got so many guys on the team that are distracted by all the events and the circumstances that it became increasingly more difficult from our perspective to go out and try to play a football game,’’ Smith said. ‘‘And I’m not sure it would have been fair to do so.’’
After the Texans played their preseason game in New Orleans last weekend, they went to North Texas instead of home after the storm. The Texans worked out Monday and Tuesday at the Cowboys’ practice facility.
Smith wasn’t sure when the Texans would resume practice, but said that NRG Stadium wasn’t damaged in the storm and that their opener there on Sept. 10 against the Jaguars would go on as planned. Jacksonville owner Shad Khan said he would be willing to swap home dates with the Texans in an effort to help Houston recover.
‘‘We’re hurting, Houston is hurting, but we’re strong,’’ Smith said. ‘‘We’ve been there over a decade and we are part of the fabric of the community.’’
Texans star defensive end J.J. Watt was pleased with the decision to cancel the game and get back to Houston.
‘‘I think it’s the right decision,’’ he said. ‘‘Everybody here is obviously most concerned about their families, their friends, the city of Houston back home. I think it’s extremely important that we get home as quickly as possible.’’
Packers ink Brooks
A person familiar with the discussions said the Packers and free agent linebacker Ahmad Brooks have agreed to a one-year deal. Brooks was in Green Bay on Tuesday to visit the Packers, who need to add depth at outside linebacker behind starters Clay Matthews and Nick Perry. The 33-year-old Brooks was released by the 49ers last week. He is a two-time second-team All-Pro . . . The Browns traded offensive lineman Cam Erving, another of the team’s first-round busts, to the Chiefs for a 2018 fifth-round pick. Since 2011, seven players drafted by the Browns in the first round are no longer with the team. Erving joins an inglorious list that includes Johnny Manziel, Trent Richardson, Brandon Weeden, and Barkevious Mingo . . . Running back Cookie Gilchrist will get his place on the Bills’ Wall of Fame in a nod to the franchise’s AFL heyday. On Oct. 29, Gilchrist, who died at 75 in 2011, will become the 31st member added to the wall.
