Jarvis Jones, Cardinals Agree to Contract After 4 Years with Steelers

Jarvis Jones never became the dominant edge rusher the Pittsburgh Steelers hoped for. Now the former first-round pick will look to revive his career with the Arizona Cardinals.

NFL Network's Ian Rapoport first reported the agreement. Jones' agent Greg Barnett later tweeted his client would be signing with the Cardinals.

Peter Schrager of Fox Sports reported it's a one-year deal.

The 27-year-old spent his first four seasons in Pittsburgh, where he became a rare disappointment in an organization that has typically churned out great pass rushers.

Selected No. 17 overall in the 2013 draft, Jones was seen as one of the safest picks in his class. He'd recorded 28 sacks over his final two seasons at Georgia, earning All-American honors and winning the 2012 SEC Defensive Player of the Year award.

Things never clicked once Jones arrived in the NFL, as his lack of top-end speed and burst off the line left him unable to make an impact. Jones has just six career regular-season sacks, including one in 2016. He has never had more than 41 total tackles in a season, and Pro Football Focus ranked him 48th among all NFL edge rushers.

The Steelers kept him largely planted on the bench for the final month of the regular season and their playoff run. James Harrison, the ageless 38-year-old, supplanted Jones in the starting lineup and took most of the snaps. 

“I mean, (the defense) has been ballin', man,” Jones told reporters. “They've got a tempo. They're meshing at the right time, and you can't take away from what those guys are doing.”

Jones became an unrestricted free agent when Pittsburgh declined its fifth-year option on him. The team did not make much of an effort to bring him back in free agency, allowing him to linger as bigger names were scooped up. His free agency was always going to be a bit of a process; he's likely viewed around the league as a buy-low candidate who might have been a bad scheme fit in Pittsburgh.

The Cardinals have had success in recent seasons reviving the careers of linebackers. The likes of Larry Foote and Karlos Dansby found new NFL life in Arizona, and the team has a spot to fill after allowing Kevin Minter to hit free agency.

Minter, a 2013 second-round pick, was among the Cardinals' team leaders in sacks in recent seasons but was an inconsistent fit.

In this case, perhaps Jones can write a better second chapter. If not, there's no harm no foul from the Cardinals' perspective.