The signing Wednesday means he will return for a fourth season with the team and is expected to back up Chris Horton. Doughty became an unrestricted free agent before the start of free agency.

Last year, Doughty played in only four games because of a back injury. His teammates voted him the winner of an annual award given to a player who overcomes injury and displays courage under difficult circumstances.

Doughty is no stranger to that. He has a hearing deficiency that requires him to wear hearing aids at meetings and rely on hand signals and lip-reading while on the field. He also has infant son who needed a kidney transplant.