Pittsburgh Steelers fans woke up to a mind-blowing Twitter post from free agent cornerback Joe Haden.
“TAKE YOUR HAT….YOUR COAT….AND LEAVE!” i#steelnation”
Grab YOUR HAT…. Your coat…. AND GO! i#steelnation
—Joe Haden (@joehaden23) 12 mars 2022
It’s also worth noting that the time of his Tweet is 5:15 a.m.
What could Haden have done so quickly in the wee hours of Saturday morning?
Haden is an unrestricted free agent
Haden, who turns 33 next month, is a free agent.
He has spent the past five years with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Prior to that, he was with the Cleveland Browns for seven years.
His last deal with the Steelers was a two-year deal for $22.4 million.
Haden has no intention of retiring.
Haden opted for free agency over extension negotiations
His contract extension talks reportedly took place last August, but the direction changed in September when Haden decided he wanted to test the free agent market.
Rumor has it that the Steelers are in contract talks with Joe Haden to extend the 32-year-old CB who is currently in his final year of contract.
– STEELCITYNATION (@ SCityNATION412) August 10, 2021
After approaching the Steelers about an extension to end his career in Pittsburgh, Pro-Bowl CB Joe Haden decided to play his contract and test the free agent market in 2022 when the cap is expected to rise significantly, according to his agent. @DrewJRosenhaus
– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 1, 2021
What could that mean?
Haden has never been an unrestricted free agent in his career.
This is foreign territory for him.
Perhaps he finds the experience disturbing, rejuvenating and frustrating all at once.
We can only speculate what he is thinking as only he knows for sure.
Haden and 2021
He was sidelined with a foot injury and has only played in 12 of the 2021 Steelers games.
With the lost playing time, his productivity suffered.
His 2021 stats are the lowest since the 2017 season when he suffered a fractured fibula which caused him to miss games.
He had 26 solo tackles and 12 assisted tackles in 2021.
At one point, Haden wanted to retire a Steeler
Haden’s turnaround decision to become an unrestricted free agent was somewhat unexpected as at one point he said he wanted to end his career in Pittsburgh if possible.
Steelers Pro-Bowl CB Joe Haden agent Drew Rosenhaus approached the team regarding an extension for his client, who is now entering the final year of his contract. “Joe wants to end his career with the Steelers if possible,” Rosenhaus said this morning.
– Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 10, 2021
He had a heartfelt message for the city and its fans at the end of the season.
January 17, Haden posted:
“Steelers Nation…I love you guys! The love I’ve felt from day one here has been amazing and I can’t thank you guys enough! We’ll see what the future holds! #GoldsPlan #ImNotDoneBalling! »
Steelers Nation….. I love you guys! The love I’ve felt from day one here has been amazing and I can’t thank you guys enough! We’ll see what the future holds! #GoldsPlan #ImNotDoneBalling! pic.twitter.com/oOpqSSPoBQ
—Joe Haden (@joehaden23) January 17, 2022
His Saturday morning Tweet gives us an indication of the trying time for players as teams quietly make decisions on how to handle their current free agents before the league-wide free agency period opens. league on March 16.
Conclusion
Haden could become a Pittsburgh Steeler in 2022.
It may depend on the money and how many other teams are interested in him after March 16.
Haden is just one of many interesting NFL storylines that will make the week ahead an interesting week in the NFL world.
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