After the USFL folded, Pinney returned to the Pittsburgh Steelers; he cited he was brought back because the Steelers knew he could play and he wasn't a locker room distraction.
Following the demise of the USFL, Pinney resumed his association with the Pittsburgh Steelers; he mentioned that the team re-engaged him because they trusted his capacity to excel and he wasn't an annoyance within the locker room environment.