The Pittsburgh Steelers have signed defensive end Tyson Alualu to a new two-year contract, preventing him from hitting the open market in March, according to Ed Bouchette of The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Alualu played in 15 games this past season, finishing with 22 tackles.

The 31-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of California, was originally selected by the Jacksonville Jaguars with the 10th overall pick of the 2010 NFL Draft.

He began his career as a defensive tackle, playing in all 16 games during his rookie campaign and recording 38 tackles and 3.5 sacks. The following year, Alualu tallied 40 tackles, 2.5 sacks, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.

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The Honolulu native played the first seven years of his career with the Jaguars, playing in all 16 games in each of his first six seasons. While he never made a Pro Bowl, he was a consistent force along the defensive line, transitioning from a defensive tackle to a defensive end in 2013.

Following the 2016 campaign, Alualu signed a two-year deal with the Steelers. During his first season in Pittsburgh, Alualu appeared in all 16 contests and made five starts, totaling 39 stops and a career-high four sacks.

The Steelers are coming off of a 2018 season in which they went 9-6-1 and missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013. Pittsburgh had been in first place in the AFC North division heading into Week 16, but the Steelers then suffered a devastating loss to the New Orleans Saints, opening the door for the Baltimore Ravens to nab the division title.

Pittsburgh will likely be undergoing a lot of changes this offseason, particularly with a probable trade of Antonio Brown looming.