For the first time in I don’t know how long, the Pittsburgh Steelers outright released one of their veteran specialists in P Pressley Harvin III. They have made changes within competitions. They have cut players like Josh Scobee. But I’m not sure they have cut an established starter without competition since Jeff Reed.
That’s okay, though, because he’ll land on his feet, according to Pat McAfee. The owner of the highest career net punting average is a fan. “Pressley Harvin obviously is going to find a home around the NFL”, he said on his show this week.
Drafted in the seventh round in 2021, Harvin had an awful rookie season that was even worse in his personal life. He lost both his father and his grandmother to battles with long-term illness. He progressed to some degree in 2022 but proved even more inconsistent in 2023.
Head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged in his end-of-season press conference that Harvin needed to continue to get better. Evidently after three years, though, he grew tired of waiting. The Steelers do not currently have a punter on the roster. But McAfee has a name in mind he believes can handle the AFC North.
“After watching his film and how he punts, Matt Araiza is a guy that would be able potentially to handle the AFC North stadiums”, he said, referring to the former 2022 sixth-round draft pick. “You have to have a very strong leg, just like Pressley Harvin did”.
Araiza is a polarizing figure for reasons known to just about every football fan who knows his name. Coming out of San Diego State, he faced accusations of participating in the gang rape of an underage girl. He reportedly admitted having had consensual relations with her and insisted that she lied about her age. There is no evidence that he remained at the party at which the assault occurred during the incident itself.
Just two months ago, his accuser dropped her lawsuit against him in exchange for his dropping his lawsuit against her for defamation. Legally, he is free and clear to sign with any team in any league. Thus far, I am not aware that he has drawn any formal interest.
Whether Araiza or somebody else, the Steelers need another punter. They employed former one of their former starters, Brad Wing, for brief stretches last season. I do not expect that they view him as a potential starter again, however. As for Harvin, the fate of most punters now await him.
“I assume Pressley Harvin will go to the lab, he’ll get better, he’ll end up somewhere else just like most punters do that end up getting cut from a team”, McAfee said, “and he’ll be on to bigger and better things, hopefully for him. I’m a big fan of his. He signed this helmet right over here”.
Harvin ended his Steelers career with a 43.7-yard gross punting average and a net punting average of 39.4 yards. His gross punting average over that span ranked 53rd among all players who attempted a punt in that span. In order to resurrect his career, he needs a coach who can instill in him rhythm mechanics to improve consistency.
