The Pittsburgh Steelers agreed to terms with P Cameron Johnston on a three-year, $9 million deal as their first move in the legal tampering window of free agency. The hope is that he can put an end to their punting woes that they have had over the last three seasons with Pressley Harvin III. He was among the worst in the league for all three years in his net punting average and contributed to the Steelers losing the field position battle with his inconsistencies.
Head coach Mike Tomlin recently referred to Johnston as the “belle of the ball” in the punter free agency market.
Johnston appeared on an Australian radio show on Monday and was asked if the Steelers’ reputation as a successful franchise was part of his decision to sign with the team.
“Yeah, an incredible organization. To be a part of it, we were super excited,” Johnston said on Breakfast With Harf on RSN. “They’ve got a proven track record, so to be a part of it, try and help win some games on Sundays, it will be a lot of fun.”
Prior to signing with the Steelers, Johnston spent three seasons with the Houston Texans and three seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles before that. The Texans were among the worst teams in the league for two of his seasons there until 2023 with the emergence of rookie QB C.J. Stroud. His time with the Eagles started the seasons after they won the Super Bowl, and his tenure there ended with a 4-11 season.
In total, his teams have gone 39-58 since joining the league with the Steelers going 57-40 over that time. Though he has played in five total playoff games over that time with two wins, something the Steelers have not accomplished over that span.
Johnston has a career yards per punt of 47.3 and a net punting average of 42.2. Both of those figures would put him in first place in franchise history for the Steelers, and by a decent margin. Last season alone, his 43.7-yard net punting average was tied for the fifth in the league.
With the defense that the Steelers have, a solid punter will go a long way toward winning the field-position battle, holding opposing teams to less points, and helping the offense score more points as a result.
