3:28pm: Harrison’s two-year deal is worth $2.75MM, and includes a $500K signing bonus, tweets Gerry Dulac of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
12:45pm: The team has officially announced the deal (via Twitter). Kaboly says the fact that it is a two-year contract does not mean much (Twitter link). He notes that there is surely no guaranteed money beyond the first year of the deal, so the team could easily move on next season with no salary cap repercussions.
11:32am: James Harrison has decided to return to the Steelers, tweets Jason La Canfora of CBS Sports, who reports that the two sides have agreed to terms. We learned yesterday that the five-time Pro Bowler and 2008 Defensive Player of the Year was deciding between the Steelers and Titans, and he has apparently chosen to remain in Pittsburgh. Mark Kaboly of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review tweets that it is a two-year deal.
Harrison played the 2013 season in Cincinnati, but after an underwhelming stint with the Bengals, Harrison decided to call it a career. His retirement lasted for all of 18 days before his old teammates convinced him to rejoin their ranks. The 36-year-old, who entered the league as an undrafted free agent and even spent time on Baltimore’s roster in the early stages of his career, collected 5.5 sacks in 11 games for the Steelers last season.
Harrison has piled up a total of 71.5 sacks during his illustrious career, including a career-high 16 in that terrific 2008 campaign, which culminated in the Steelers’ sixth Super Bowl championship. He has also earned a reputation for being one of the dirtier players in the league, thanks to the number of illegal hits he has delivered over the course of his career. Harrison is no longer the feared pass rusher he once was, but he can still be useful in a limited role in clear passing downs. He will provide depth to a unit that has struggled to get to the quarterback in recent seasons.