Though it felt like there was a slim chance he could return, Robert Golden announced a short time ago he signed with the Kansas City Chiefs.
Golden, an undrafted free agent by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2012, made the club his rookie year and has been a special teams standout and captain for most of his career. In spot duty, he started 12 games on defense, recording a pair of interceptions. Fans will remember the two fake punts he threw in his career, including a 44 yard completion versus the Cincinnati Bengals last season.
Last year, Golden was mostly used in a reserve special teams role and the team moved on from him and Mike Mitchell on the first day of free agency.
Pittsburgh has attempted to replace his special teams value with a trio of visits, bringing in Matthew Slater, Michael Thomas, and Nat Berhe over the past two weeks. Slater re-signed with New England, Thomas went to the Giants, and it sounds like Berhe left without a contract. Ultimately, the Steelers may look to fill that role in the draft.
In addition to safety depth, Golden’s release leaves a big hole in the team’s personal protector spot on the punt team, a spot he held for basically his entire Steelers’ career.
