After being unable to find a trade partner, the Pittsburgh Steelers have announced they’ve released and waived P Braden Mann.
Mann was initially kept on the Steelers’ 53-man roster yesterday with the hope the team could trade him away. But they were unable to strike a deal and Mann ultimately lost out to Pressley Harvin III, who impressed all summer and will be the Steelers’ punter Week One.
Mann will have to pass through waivers and could be claimed by another team. The Philadelphia Eagles have reportedly had interest.
Mann was claimed by the Steelers off waivers on April 17. A former sixth-round pick out of Texas A&M by the New York Jets, Mann punted for them from 2020-22. Averaging 45.4 yards per punt, he boasts a big leg and solid resume, a Ray Guy Award winner in college for the NCAA’s top punter. As a Jet, he averaged a career-best 46.9 yards per punt in 2022, though it wasn’t enough to keep his job, losing out to veteran Thomas Morstead.
Mann battled incumbent Pressley Harvin III this summer. Harvin’s consistency and solid pin-deep placement — all six of his punts landing inside the 20 — allowed him to keep the Steelers’ starting job. But Mann held his own and impressed in the preseason finale against Atlanta, averaging 49 yards on three boots with a long of 61.
For the preseason, Mann punted nine times with a healthy average of 46.8 yards per punt. Five of his nine punts landed inside the 20.
Pittsburgh’s roster currently sits at 52 with but CB Desmond King reportedly signing with the team, they’ll soon be at 53.
