Witman signs with Steelers

Fullback Jon Witman, who was released by the Steelers last month in a money-saving maneuver, is turning his back on possibly richer deals elsewhere to return to the team that drafted him.

Witman, the Steelers' regular starting fullback at the start of the past three seasons, signed a two-year deal with the team on Monday for about $477,000 per season, the minimum wage for five-year veterans in the NFL. He won't receive a signing bonus.

'Jon is unbelievable. He could have made more money other places,' Witman's agent, Mark Bartelstein, said. 'But he just wants to play for the Steelers. He has more loyalty than any athlete I have ever been around. I hope the fans appreciate him.'

The Steelers cut Witman on March 1 to save money under the salary cap and create room for re-signing running back Jerome Bettis and signing center Jeff Hartings and free safety Mike Logan in free agency. Under terms of his former contract, Witman was scheduled to earn $1.1 million this year and count nearly $1.5 million against the cap.

'Jon showed a strong interest in staying,' Steelers director of football operations Kevin Colbert said. 'He made that clear to us. That's why we wanted to get him re-signed. We felt Jon is still a good player and can contribute.'

The decision to cut Witman turned out to be a temporary, financial consideration, because the Steelers have no other pure fullback on the roster behind Dan Kreider. Running backs Richard Huntley and Chris Fuamatu-Ma'afala can play the position in an emergency, but the Steelers prefer not to move them. Fuamatu-Ma'afala is a restricted free agent who hasn't signed the one-year, $512,000 tender offer that he received from the Steelers.

Now, Witman will come to training camp and compete for the starting job with Kreider. Although he wasn't drafted, Kreider earned team Rookie of the Year honors last year after Witman broke his leg Oct. 15 against the Cincinnati Bengals and missed the rest of the season. Witman almost is recovered fully from the injury, and he is expected to be at full strength later this spring. 'We felt very comfortable with his medical situation,' Colbert said.

Drafted in the third round in 1996 from Penn State, Witman started 10 games in 1998, all 16 in 1999 and five of the first six last year. In five years, he rushed 32 times for 105 yards and caught 33 passes for 231.

Re-signing Witman helps the Steelers in the draft April 21-22 when they have a franchise record-low six selections.

'It's another player back in the fold that obviously probably negates a draft need,' Colbert said.

The Steelers also cut linebacker Levon Kirkland, defensive end Kevin Henry and center Dermontti Dawson last month to create cap room, and team officials have discussed bringing back Kirkland and Henry. Dawson, who was replaced by Hartings, won't be back.