Former Steelers 1st-rounder Artie Burns signs with Bears; Nick Vannett to Broncos
The final member of the 2016 draft class departed the Pittsburgh Steelers on Saturday when cornerback Artie Burns agreed to terms on a one-year contract with the Chicago Bears.
Burns, the team’s first-round pick that year, was the fourth member of that draft class to leave in free agency this week, joining second-rounder Sean Davis (Washington Redskins), third-rounder Javon Hargrave (Philadelphia Eagles) and seventh-rounder Tyler Matakevich (Buffalo Bills).
Burns lost his starting job for good in the 2019 season, and he returned to the bench last year when the Steelers signed free agent corner Steve Nelson.
In his final season with the Steelers, Burns made one start, replacing an injured Nelson in Week 6 at the Los Angeles Chargers. He appeared in 10 games before being inactive for the final six weeks of the season.
Burns started 32 of 58 career games with the Steelers and totaled four interceptions and 27 passes defensed.
The Steelers lost another free agent when tight end Nick Vannett agreed to a two-year, $5.7 million contract with the Denver Broncos. Vannett had 13 catches in 13 games after he was acquired from the Seattle Seahawks early in the season.
The Steelers moved on from Vannett when they signed tight end Eric Ebron to a two-year, $12 million contract.
Joe Rutter is a TribLive reporter who has covered the Pittsburgh Steelers since the 2016 season. A graduate of Greensburg Salem High School and Point Park, he is in his fifth decade covering sports for the Trib. He can be reached at jrutter@triblive.com.
Remove the ads from your TribLIVE reading experience but still support the journalists who create the content with TribLIVE Ad-Free.