Agent: Steelers CB Joe Haden Will Enter Free Agency after 2021 Season

Steelers cornerback Joe Haden has decided that he will play out the season and then test the free agent agent market, his agent told Adam Schefter of ESPN.

Haden, who will be a free agent after the 2021 season, had requested a contract extension this offseason, but appears resigned to that not happening at this point.

When speaking with the media during training camp, Haden said that he understood that the Steelers were prioritizing negotiations with linebacker T.J. Watt, who will also be a free agent next spring.

While Watt has declined to participate in team portions of practices and preseason games while negotiating a deal, Haden has been a full participant in the team’s offseason, in line with the rest of the veterans.

Wednesday is two years to the day from the day Haden signed a two-year, $22.4 million contract extension with the team. Haden is 32 years old and is entering his 12th NFL season. He played his first seven seasons with the Cleveland Browns before joining the Steelers in 2017.