Steelers sign familiar face at punter to replace Cameron Johnston

As soon as Cameron Johnston went down with a scary knee injury in the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons, we knew it was just a matter of time before the Pittsburgh Steelers would sign a new punter. Though we all wanted to be optimistic about Johnston's health, it came as no surprise to hear Mike Tomlin label his injury significant.

On September 9, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network confirmed that Johnston had suffered a season-ending knee injury. As promising as he looked, his first year in Pittsburgh was claimed less than one full game in a Steelers uniform.

Chris Boswell served as the team's emergency punter, but we knew a free-agent addition was coming. Many believed the Steelers would go with a retread punter, and they did... just not the one that everyone expected.

After Pressley Harvin III failed to make a team, many thought the Steelers would bring him back in. Others believed Pittsburgh's front office could call former punter Brad Wing. Instead, the Steelers went with Corliss Waitman, who briefly punted for Pittsburgh in 2021.

Steelers fans should temper expectations with their new punter

Waitman was never called upon in 2023, but he started all 17 games with the Denver Broncos in 2022 when he averaged 46.6 yards per punt attempt and pinned 31.3 percent of his punts inside the twenty-yard line.

But there's a reason Waitman wasn't on an NFL roster before the Steelers reached out to him. The results weren't good enough when called upon, and at 29 years old, Waitman has only 19 starts under his belt.

The Steelers were more willing to give Waitman a second chance than some of the punters that have come through their facility but don't expect big things. After watching Cameron Johnston beam the ball down the field all summer, Waitman is likely to feel underwhelming.

Pittsburgh's deal with Johnson tied him for the fourth-highest-paid punter in the NFL. Unfortunately, he may not be the same when he returns after suffering a significant knee injury. For now, Corliss Waitman will be their guy, but they aren't tied to him if things don't go well early in the season.

It's not Pressley Harvin, but this underwhelming addition at punter may not be any better.