

Brandon Meriweather will return for a third season with the Redskins. (LM Otero/Associated Press)

The Washington Redskins have reached an agreement to bring back safety Brandon Meriweather, a person familiar with the situation confirmed.

The Redskins entered free agency hoping to upgrade the safety position, but always remained open to the possibility to bringing the eighth-year veteran back on another contract.

Entering the weekend, Washington had yet to have serious contract negotiations with Meriweather’s camp, a person with knowledge of the situation said. But in the past 48 hours, the action picked up, and the two sides came to an agreement. Meriweather agreed to a one-year deal worth $1 million, according to NBC-4, which first reported news of the signing.

This will mark Meriweather’s third season with the team, although his first year, he played only one half of a game while riddled by knee injuries. He had surgery to repair a torn anterior cruciate ligament in November of 2012 and last season played in 13 games, recording 69 tackles, a sack, two interceptions and a forced fumble.

Meriweather found himself at the center of controversy for illegal hits to the head, and he missed one game because of a suspension.

Washington elected not to engage in bidding wars for the top safeties on the free agent market, and saw Meriweather as a better option to many of the remaining players. He has spent the bulk of his career at strong safety, but last season played free safety the majority of the time, out of necessity.

The team remains in negotiations with former Pittsburgh Steelers safety Ryan Clark, but the Baltimore Ravens have interest in him as well.

Washington has young safeties Jose Gumbs, Phillip Thomas and Bacarri Rambo on the roster, but they are all unproven. Gumbs has contributed primarily on special teams, Thomas missed all of his rookie season with a foot injury, and Rambo struggled mightily in his limited action as a rookie last year.

Have a Redskins question? E-mail Mike Jones at mike.jones@washpost.com with the subject line “Mailbag question” for him to answer it in The Mailbag on Tuesdays.

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