The Steelers are in an uncomfortable position late in the Week 1 contest against the Atlanta Falcons. On a fourth-quarter punt, Steelers punter Cameron Johnston suffered an injury to his right leg as a Falcon fell into him as he brought his foot down.
Surprisingly, there was no flag on the play for running into or roughing the kicker.
Chris Boswell stepped into the game to hit the first punt of his 10-year NFL career. Boswell got off a 43-yard punt that saw the returner immediately brought down after the catch.
Cameron Johnston looked like a breath of fresh air as the Steelers new punter in his first official game in the Black and Gold. He had two punts for 102 yards with one inside the 20 and a long 58 yards. His third punt didn't stick in the box score as it was called back due to a holding call.
Johnston, 32, signed with the Steelers in free agency on a three-year deal worth $9 million.
The Steelers are also forced to use an emergency holder for presumably the remainder of the game with Johnston unavailable. Wide receiver Scottie Miller filled that role on the Steelers field goal attempt to take an 18-10 lead."
Cameron Johnston injury could be a huge loss for Steelers moving forward
The severity of Johnston's injury is not known yet, though the injury did appear to be significant. We'll await a report from head coach Mike Tomlin in the postgame on Johnston's status going forward.
It's worth noting former Steelers punter Pressley Harvin is a free agent should Johnston miss extended time. Let's hope the diagnosis for Cameron Johnston isn't as bad as it looked from home.