Free agent defensive back Charles Woodson signed a one-year contract Tuesday with the Oakland Raiders to return to his original team. Woodson's deal is worth a maximum of $4.3 million and includes a $700,000 signing bonus, ESPN's Josina Anderson reported.
The move should gain the approval of Raiders fans, many of whom staked out the team's facility on Tuesday to greet the veteran defensive back on his visit and urge him to return.
They got their wish a few hours after he arrived when the team announced his signing.
Oakland drafted the former Heisman Trophy winner with the fourth overall pick in the 1998 NFL Draft. He returns to a vastly different franchise than the one he left following his eighth season with the team in 2005.
Longtime owner Al Davis passed away in October 2011, and the team is now run by Davis' son, Mark. Kicker Sebastian Janikowski is the only player left from Woodson's eight years in Oakland that included three straight AFC West titles and a trip to the Super Bowl following the 2002 season.
The Raiders haven't had a winning season or a playoff berth since, adding to the fans' desire to bring back Woodson and a connection to past success.
The 36-year-old was released by the Green Bay Packers in a salary-cutting move Feb. 15, with two years remaining on his contract. He had said he wanted to join a contender and visited with San Francisco and Denver but ended up signing with a rebuilding Raiders team coming off a 4-12 season.
Woodson is an accomplished cornerback and safety who will bring veteran leadership to the Raiders' secondary. Oakland has a void at free safety after releasing former first-round pick Michael Huff this offseason and also would like Woodson to tutor first-round cornerback D.J. Hayden.
The eight-time Pro Bowler and 2009 NFL Defensive Player of the Year missed nine games during the regular season for Green Bay last year due to a broken right collarbone. Woodson spent seven seasons with the Packers, helping them win the Super Bow following the 2010 season.
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