A week after declining to tender him a contract to prevent him from hitting unrestricted free agency, the Pittsburgh Steelers re-signed cornerback James Pierre to a one-year contract yesterday.
Pierre has appeared in all 50 of the Steelers’ games over the past three seasons since making the team as an undrafted free agent out of Florida Atlantic. The 6-foot-2, 185-pound Pierre — a first cousin of star NFL quarterback Lamar Jackson — made two starts last season and four in 2021. He has one interception each of the past two seasons while playing just less than one-third of the Steelers’ defensive snaps in that time.
Financial terms were not immediately available, but Pierre likely is making close to the veteran minimum. The Steelers could have retained his rights as a restricted free agent by offering him a $2.63 million tender by March 15. They declined, and Pierre was free to be signed by any team.