Cornerback Artie Burns has impressed Steelers with willingness to get better

When Artie Burns collected his $800,000 roster bonus Sunday, it wasn’t based on how trim he looked when he reported to training camp for the Pittsburgh Steelers or how he performed on the first few days of practice.

Rather, the former first-round draft pick earned the bonus and remains in competition as the No. 3 cornerback based on his attitude, conditioning in spring workouts and willingness to overcome his poor 2018 season, general manager Kevin Colbert said Monday.

Colbert said Burns, who lost his starting job early in his third NFL season, remained determined to prove his value after the Steelers signed Steven Nelson to a three-year, $25.5 million contract and selected cornerback Justin Layne in the third round of the draft.

“Artie didn’t care about that. He was focused on trying to get better,” Colbert said. “He did his work in the spring, and he competed and we think he did show signs of improvement. Of course, he has to continue that, and it’s encouraging for us.”

Burns entered training camp as the backup to Nelson and Joe Haden. He will count $3.051 million against the salary cap, making him the 17th highest-paid player on the team — if he makes the 53-man roster. The Steelers would save less than $1 million if he is cut.

“Keeping him in the mix was important,” Colbert said. “He had a good spring where sometimes in that situation where you lose your job and they bring in two people to compete for that job, you can go the other way. Fortunately, he didn’t.”

Burns lost out on a potentially big payday — an estimated $9.6 million salary — in the spring when the Steelers elected not to exercise a fifth-year option on his contract for 2020. Burns can become a free agent after the 2019 season.

Once offseason workouts concluded, Burns said he tried not to think about the $800,000 bonus that was at stake if he remained on the roster by July 28.

“I wasn’t really too much worried about that,” he said. “I didn’t know what my future was with this team coming in to the spring, so me being here, I just keep working. I’m not really too focused on stuff like that.”

Haden missed most of the 10 organized team activities, giving Burns a chance to practice with the first-team defense. Because no hitting is allowed, and pads are not worn in offseason practices, which include three weeks of OTAs and three days of mandatory minicamp, how could the Steelers gauge whether Burns was making progress?

“Just from the work, the preparation,” Colbert said. “No, they are not doing tackle football or tackle coverage, but they are competing, and they are working. As long as they are competing and working, they should have a chance to get better.”

Burns also sat in on film study with coaches and worked on his technique in the offseason. For the first time in his career, Burns to did not return to his native Miami to resume summer workouts and conditioning. While many teammates scattered across the country, Burns remained in Pittsburgh and trained at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

“The guys who don’t stay here, you trust they are doing what they need to do to get their work in,” Colbert said. “That’s only proven by what they look like when they get here. Him being here, you could see him on a day-to-day basis, and sometimes you get a better feeling when you see them than when you don’t.”

After starting for much of his first two seasons, the No. 25 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft started splitting series with Coty Sensabaugh in Week 3. He lost the starting job for good a few weeks later and played just 15 defensive snaps over the final 10 games.

The Steelers worked with Burns to regain the confidence he admittedly lost when Sensabaugh replaced him.

“You just try to teach them and try to encourage them to find it,” Colbert said. “Again, in the spring, we thought he took those steps. It’s his job to take those steps throughout the preseason.”

The inconsistency Burns showed last year resurfaced Monday at practice. One day after he had an interception in a 2-point conversion drill, Burns broke up a deep pass to Donte Moncrief, the ball deflecting to free safety Kameron Kelly for an interception. But on the next play, wide receiver James Washington got underneath Burns on a deep route and caught the pass for a long gain.

“I have to continuously work every day, keep getting better every day,” Burns said. “It’s being my best self I can possibly be every day.”