FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots re-signed veteran cornerback Chad Scott last night. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed
Scott, 31, was first signed by the Patriots as a veteran free agent on April 26, 2005. The ninth-year veteran played in three games last season and recorded two solo tackles before being placed on injured reserve on Oct. 12, 2005. He joined the Patriots after spending eight seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers, where he started 88 of 91 games from 1997-2004. The 6-foot-1-inch, 202-pound cornerback has recorded 19 career interceptions, including four that he returned for touchdowns. His career totals also include 432 tackles and 74 passes defensed.
The University of Maryland product was originally drafted by Pittsburgh in the first round (24th overall) of the 1997 NFL Draft. He started nine of 13 games as a rookie and was selected to the Associated Press All-Rookie Team and was also awarded the Joe Greene Great Performance Award as the Steelers' Rookie of the Year. He capped off his rookie campaign by leading the Steelers with eight tackles and three passes defensed as Pittsburgh defeated the Patriots in the 1997 divisional playoffs. After missing the 1998 season on injured reserve, Scott returned in 1999 with a solid season in which he established himself as a reliable starter. Over the next three seasons, from 2000 to 2002, Scott started all but two games for the Steelers and averaged four interceptions and 78 tackles per season. His five interceptions in 2000 tied for the team lead and he led the squad a year later with five more picks. In 2002, he set a career high with 85 tackles (61 solo) while starting all 15 games in which he played. He started all 19 games in which he appeared with the Steelers from 2003-04.
