Steelers grab Haden hours after he is released by the Browns
Joe Haden, a two- time Pro Bowl cornerback with Cleveland, was released by the Browns and promptly signed a three- year, $ 27- million contract with the rival Pittsburgh Steelers, who are giving the 28- year- old a chance to exact some revenge on a team that doesn’t think he can play anymore.
Haden signed the deal Wednesday after passing a physical, and only hours after he was cut by the Browns.
In seven seasons with Cleveland, Haden went just 2- 12 against the Steelers. His signing will add some luster to this season’s opener when Pittsburgh visits Cleveland on Sept. 10.
The Browns are rebuilding and they felt Haden had be- come too expensive and too injury- prone.
Texans- Cowboys exhibition canceled
The Houston Texans headed home to f lood- ravaged Houston after their final preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys was canceled Wednesday.
“We’ve got several members of our travel party — our coaches, our players, our staff members — whose families have been evacuated,” general manager Rick Smith said. “There is so much devastation in the city and the region and we want to be part of the recovery process.”
The game scheduled for Thursday night had been moved from Houston to the home of the Cowboys because of widespread f looding in the Houston area in the wake of Tropical Storm Harvey. The decision to cancel the game altogether was announced when the Texans said local authorities had found a safe route for the team to drive the 250 miles home.
After the Texans played their preseason game in New Orleans last weekend, they went to north Texas instead of home after the storm. They worked out Monday and Tuesday at the Cowboys’ practice facility.
Smith wasn’t sure when the Texans would resume practice, but said that NRG Stadium wasn’t damaged in the storm and that their opener there on Sept. 10 against the Jacksonville Jaguars would go on as planned.
Jaguars owner Shad Khan said he would be willing to swap home dates with the Texans to help Houston recover before hosting the game. The teams are set to play in Jacksonville on Dec. 17.
Texans star defensive end J. J. Watt almost didn’t know to react to the stunning growth of his f lood relief fundraising effort, which started Sunday with a Web page and a video. He’s been offering video updates as the total climbed over $ 6 million.
“We’ve upped the goal to $ 10 million because everything is bigger in Texas,” he said.
Burf ict ban reduced
Vontaze Burfict of the Cincinnati Bengals has been suspended without pay for the f irst three games of the season, a reduction from the original suspension of f ive games, the NFL said Wednesday.
The ban was imposed on the linebacker for repeated violations of safety- related playing rules. He had appealed the original suspension.
Burfict served a threegame suspension at the start of last season for violating player- safety rules, most notably with a hit on Pittsburgh receiver Antonio Brown during a 2015 playoff game. Brooks set to sign with Packers
A person familiar with the discussions said the Green Bay Packers and free- agent linebacker Ahmad Brooks have agreed to a one- year deal. Brooks, 33, was released by the San Francisco 49ers last week. He is a two- time second- team All- Pro.