Mark Barron is hitting the Steel City.
The former Los Angeles Rams linebacker is signing a two-year, $12 million deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers, a source told NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Sunday. Barron will also receive a $5.75 million signing bonus. ESPN first reported the signing.
Barron was released by the Rams earlier this offseason after more than four years with the club. He had two years remaining on his deal with L.A. and was owed $5 million in base salary.
The hybrid linebacker could start right away in Pittsburgh, which already boasts a linebacking corps of Bud Dupree, T.J. Watt and Anthony Chickillo on the outside and Vince Williams and Jon Bostic on the inside. Barron is the second defensive acquisition Pittsburgh has made so far in free agency; the Steelers also signed former Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Steven Nelson.
Barron was a consistent presence in the Rams' front seven and defensive backfield over the course of his five-ish seasons with the franchise, totaling 398 tackles, seven sacks and five interceptions over that span. The 29-year-old missed the first four games of the 2018 season with an ankle injury, but returned in Week 5 and played through Los Angeles' Super Bowl run.
Barron was listed as No. 90 in NFL.com's Top 101 Free Agents of 2019 list.
