Former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Sean Davis will sign a one-year deal worth up to $5 million with the Washington Redskins, his agent Drew Rosenhaus told ESPN's Adam Schefter.
The Redskins wanted a free safety to pair with Landon Collins, the strong safety they signed last season. They have struggled to fill the free safety spot ever since Sean Taylor died in 2007.
Montae Nicholson started 23 games there the past three years combined, including 13 a year ago. But he's also had multiple injuries and some off-field issues, and the staff that drafted him is gone.
Davis, a 2016 second-round pick out of Maryland, missed nearly the entire 2019 season with a shoulder injury that landed him on injured reserve in Week 2.
The Steelers didn't miss him much, however, after acquiring Minkah Fitzpatrick in a trade with the Miami Dolphins. Fitzpatrick went on to have a Pro Bowl season at free safety, filling Davis' role with five interceptions, nine pass breakups and a touchdown off a fumble recovery.
With Fitzpatrick's success and Terrell Edmunds holding down the strong safety spot, the Steelers didn't need to bring Davis back from IR in 2019.
Before his injury, Davis was a regular starter from 2017 to 2018, and in 2017 he racked up three interceptions and one forced fumble to go with 92 combined tackles.
Davis, 26, has started 41 of 48 games and has 247 combined tackles, 5 interceptions and 2.5 sacks in his career.
ESPN's John Keim and Brooke Pryor contributed to this report.