Matt Freed, Post-Gazette Deshea Townsend re-signs with the Steelers after a visit to the New England Patriots. Click photo for larger image.

Deshea Townsend wore sneakers, a white T-shirt and a gray, black and red sweat suit to his contract signing and subsequent news conference yesterday afternoon at the Steelers' South Side headquarters.

If the clothes fit the man, and the man fits the Steelers, the club's front-office types and coaches don't give a hoot about his choice of clothing. Besides, Townsend said of his hasty return to Pittsburgh after a free-agent visit to New England, "That's all the clothes I had left."

All that mattered to the Steelers was Townsend wasn't wearing a Patriots jersey -- and it nearly came to that.

"It was a very close call," said Townsend's agent, Peter Schaffer, about a half-hour after the 1 p.m. news conference to announce that the Steelers retained their starting right cornerback from the past two seasons. "I would've told you at this time yesterday that I believed he was all but a New England Patriot."

Apparently, Steelers officials nabbed Townsend Thursday right about the time he was meeting with Patriots coach Bill Belichick. The Patriots already made an offer to Schaffer for Townsend and had cleared roughly $2 million in salary-cap space after releasing cornerback Tyrone Poole rather than paying him a $500,000 bonus. Then the Steelers called.

It all happened so fast, Townsend repacked his overnight bag and hopped on a return flight to Pittsburgh yesterday morning, when he completed a deal that keeps the eight-year veteran with the team that drafted him in the fourth round in 1998.

The Steelers gave Townsend, 30, their second-leading pass defender last season (13) and tied as their second-leading sacker (three, not counting one in the Super Bowl), a four-year, $8 million contract to return to a defense currently set to return nine starters and needing a seasoned veteran in the secondary. That as much, if not more, than the money was what swayed Townsend, who said he was told he would remain the starter at right cornerback for the third season in a row.

"This is always where I wanted to be," Townsend said. "I had other opportunities that were out there, but this is the best fit for Deshea, and that is why I am here.

"I was [in New England] and a situation came up where you had to pick where you wanted to be. I am where I want to be. There's no other organization I would rather be at. It's the only organization that I know. That really made it easy for me."

Added Schaffer: "I think credit has to go to the Steelers, to Bill [Cowher, the coach] and Kevin [Colbert, the director of football operations] and Omar [Khan, the negotiator], for their persistence. I think they made a very compelling argument to Deshea and offer to me that sealed the deal. This is all about Deshea Townsend and what was best for him."

With the free-agent departure of Chris Hope to Tennessee, the Steelers signed Washington free safety Ryan Clark, 26, Tuesday, but he will be calling signals in a defense new to him. That might only add to Townsend's value as the oldest head in the secondary. Steelers owner Dan Rooney yesterday at the news conference called him "the quarterback back in the defense."

"When you think about Deshea Townsend, you think about a guy who has always been there for us and continued to make play after play," Colbert said. "It certainly did not go unnoticed by us. We are extremely happy to announce that Deshea will be joining us for four more years, and, hopefully, he can finish his career as a Steeler."

His return means the Steelers have depth at cornerback, with last year's second-round draft choice Bryant McFadden, of which Townsend said: "You always need good corners on your team. You can never have enough. With the young guys and myself ... it is just going to make us a better team."

Townsend's return also means that Hope and defensive end Kimo von Oelhoffen (New York Jets) the only departures thus far from the defense. Starting left cornerback Ike Taylor remains a restricted free agent and seems unlikely to receive a contract elsewhere.

Townsend, 5 feet 10, 190 pounds, had 55 total tackles last season to rank ninth on the Steelers, just ahead of Pro Bowl nose guard Casey Hampton and von Oelhoffen.

Asked if in his brief time with Belichick he picked up any secrets about repeating as Super Bowl champions, something Belichick's Patriots did after the 2004 season, Townsend smiled.

"He just said it's always tough."