Joe Haden Wants To Sign Extension With Steelers, Finish Career In Pittsburgh

Steelers veteran CB Joe Haden tells Mark Kaboly of The Athletic that he would like to sign an extension and finish out his career in Pittsburgh. 

“Honestly, yes. I would rather have a contract more than this year because I want to end my career here,” Haden said when asked about being in the final year of his deal. “We will see what happens, but we want to get T.J. Watt signed first, obviously. He’s the main priority.”

Haden admitted that he may not be a priority for the Steelers to address right now with T.J. Watt and Minkah Fitzpatrick in line for new deals. However, he’s hoping there will still be room for him in the Steelers’ cap situation. 

“Man, T.J. is coming through the pike and then Minkah. It is what it is, but hopefully, with the TV deal what it is, then hopefully, they will get signed and I will get signed, too,” Haden said. “It is a real tight situation right now and we are trying to figure it out. We have priority levels here so I have to see what happens with my boy T.J. first.”

As for the possibility of playing safety down the road, Haden says that’s not something that appeals to him. 

“I want to play until I can’t play. I want to continue to be a No. 1 corner. Once I feel like I can look at myself on tape and the coach says he doesn’t know if I can start in the NFL anymore on the outside, I am not really a change-position-to-safety kind of guy or going into the nickel. Once I am done as a CB1, at worst a CB2 if there is another good starter like me and Cam right now — once I can’t become an outside starting guy is when it is my time,” Haden explained.

Haden, 32, is a former first-round pick of the Browns back in 2010. He was in the fourth year of his six-year, $74.678 million contract when the Browns officially cut him loose coming out of the preseason in 2017.

The Steelers quickly signed Haden to a three-year, $27 million contract soon after he was cut and re-signed him to a two-year, $22 million extension. He’s currently in the final year of his contract and set to make a base salary of $7 million for the 2021 season. 

Haden will be an unrestricted free agent in 2022. 

In 2020, Haden appeared in 14 games and recorded 52 total tackles, two tackles for loss, two interceptions, 12 pass defenses, and scored one defensive touchdown.