PITTSBURGH - Former Pro Bowl linebacker Chad Brown, looking for a new team after being released last week by the Seattle Seahawks, visited Wednesday with his old team, the Steelers.

Brown, who played in Pittsburgh from 1993-96 before spending eight seasons in Seattle, was released after the Seahawks asked him to cut his base salary from $4.2 million to $1 million.

When he didn't, the Seahawks signed linebacker Jamie Sharper to a $17.5 million, six-year deal.

The Steelers wouldn't seem to have the salary cap room to sign the 34-year-old Brown for even the $1 million figure he rejected in Seattle, but he still wanted to meet with them.

"My interest is very high," said Brown, who would likely back up starting outside linebackers Joey Porter and Clark Haggans. "It's tough to replicate the Steelers' experience anywhere else. This is a very special place to play football and to come full circle and end my career here would be awesome."

The Steelers haven't dropped any hints about how much they would be willing to pay Brown, who was limited to one sack during an injury-disrupted 2004 season. He averaged 7½ sacks from 1994-2003, getting a career-high 13 in his final season with Pittsburgh.

After Brown was cut by Seattle, Steelers coach Bill Cowher urged director of football operations Kevin Colbert to see if the two sides could reach a deal.

"He wanted to get Kevin and my agent on the phone together to see if we were in the same ballpark, to see if it was even worth it," Brown said. "I'm here. So I'm assuming the numbers are pretty close on both sides."

Brown visited Monday and Tuesday with New England, and Denver may also be interested in him.