Artie Burns is the next player to land a new deal in the secondary waves of free agency. The veteran corner has agreed to a one-year Dolphins pact, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reports. 
This represents a homecoming for Burns. The Miami native played for the Hurricanes during his college career, one which ended with a six-interception junior campaign. That production helped make Burns a first-round pick, but his four seasons with the Steelers did not go according to plan.
By the end of his Pittsburgh run, Burns had gone from a full-time starter to a rotational defender tasked with handling special teams duties. After being out of the league in 2020, he returned on a one-year Bears contract which saw him handle a 39% defensive snap share. In the three years since then (in Seattle), though, the 29-year-old has earned primarily his playing time with his third phase contributions.
Miami has Jalen Ramsey atop the CB depth chart for next season, and holdovers Kader Kohou and Cam Smith are also set to play a role moving forward. The Dolphins have seen safety Jevon Holland depart in free agency as expected, and Jordan Poyer is considered unlikely to be retained. Former Lion Ifeatu Melifonwu was added last week, and he is in line to serve a notable role in the secondary as a result.
The Dolphins also retained Elijah Campbell, putting him on track to reprise his role as a key special teams presence. Burns will look to join him in that regard while attempting to boost his value ahead of free agency next spring.