Around the NFL

Cortez Allen, Steelers sign 5-year, $26M contract

Published: Sep 06, 2014 at 01:19 PM

The Pittsburgh Steelers infused their defensive core with young players though the draft, but they're also making sure they lock up their own.

On Saturday, the team announced it handed top cornerback Cortez Allen a new five-year deal that will keep him in Pittsburgh through the 2018 season. NFL Media Insider Ian Rapoport reports the contract is worth $26 million, per a source informed of the deal. Allen was set to make just $1.43 million in 2014.

Allen has been a bright spot in the Steelers' aging defense since stepping into the starting lineup to replace Keenan Lewis. The 25-year-old started a career-high eight games last season, recording two INTs (one of them returned for a touchdown). He has great size for a corner at 6-foot-1 and rarely gets beat deep.

A fourth-round pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, Allen was set to be a free agent at year's end. With the struggling Ike Taylor on the opposite side of the field, it was a priority for the Steelers to keep Allen in Pittsburgh, where he'll team with Ryan Shazier and Jarvis Jones for years to come.

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