When Brandon Johnson signed with the Steelers, it was hinted that he no longer wanted to be a backup on the Bengals working off three consecutive one-year deals. The door wasn't totally closed on his return in 2012 but obviously it didn't happen. Johnson played only 2 defensive snaps for the Steelers after getting in on 316, 506 and ??? the previous three years in Cincinnati.

Will Brandon Johnson be back since the linebackers could use the depth? I highly doubt it but if we get to the beginning of training camp and Johnson is still without a team there could be a possibility he could be back.

Source: Joe Reedy (link) 6/1/12

There's no guarantee he would even make the final roster, especially if we resign Howard and Rey Maualuga (as a SAM) but he was a great fit in Zimmer's defense as well as on Simmons' special teams. His cap hit would only be $555,000 as a minimum benefit veteran plus a max signing bonus of $65,000. This would give him some financial security even if we probably draft 1-2 LB's this April.