ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos and linebacker Steven Johnson have reached agreement on a one-year contract hours before he was set to become a free agent.

The Broncos didn’t tender Johnson as a restricted free agent, a move that would have cost them $1,542,000.

Johnson has been a top special teams player for Denver, which signed him after he went undrafted out of Kansas in 2012. He started seven of the Broncos’ final eight games at middle linebacker last year after Nate Irving’s season-ending knee injury.