Pittsburgh Steelers veteran cornerback Joe Haden isn’t expected to have any kind of surgery this offseason and the former first-round draft pick of the Cleveland Browns is very grateful for that. Haden took Twitter Friday night to share his thoughts on that subject.
“This is my first offseason in two years I don’t have to rehab a surgery! Just grind and be the best I can be… witch I feel is THE BEST,” Haden tweeted.
After the 2015 season ended, Haden underwent surgery on his left ankle to repair cartilage and ligament damage in March of 2016 and that ultimately resulted in him starting the Browns training camp that year on the Active/PUP list. Haden was eventually removed from the PUP list ahead of the 2016 regular season starting. It’s worth noting, however, that Haden had only started five games during the 2015 season and was inactive for eight with various injuries including a concussion, a broken finger, an ankle and a rib injury.
Last offseason, Haden, who was still a member of the Browns at the time, underwent surgery in January of 2017 to repair the two separate groin injuries he suffered during the 2016 regular season. His first groin injury was reportedly on the left side and it occurred during a practice ahead of the Browns Week 3 game against the Miami Dolphins and he ultimately sat out that contest. Then, prior to the Browns’ Week 6 game against Tennessee Titans, Haden injured his right groin during a practice and went on to miss two more games with that injury.
Haden, who signed with the Steelers just prior to the start of the 2017 regular season following him being released by the Browns after reportedly not agreeing to take a pay curt, started the first 9 regular season games at left cornerback for Pittsburgh. However, a fractured left fibula that Haden suffered during the first half of the Steelers Week 10 road game against the Indianapolis Colts resulted in the cornerback missing the team’s next five games. He returned in time to play in the Steelers final two regular season games as well as their Divisional Round playoff loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
Now starting his first full offseason as a member of the Steelers, Haden, who will turn 29 years of age in April, is obviously looking forward to playing in all 16 regular season games in 2018. That’s a feat the Florida product hasn’t been able to accomplish since his 2010 rookie season. He is scheduled to earn $10 million with the Steelers in 2018 and that same amount in 2019.
