For long snappers, there are only two grades: A’s and F’s. Pass or fail. Either you did your job as designed or you didn’t. Guys like the Pittsburgh Steelers’ Christian Kuntz don’t have the margin for error other positions are afforded. A receiver who doesn’t run a precise route could still reach back for the ball. A cornerback who gets beat off the line has the opportunity to recover. A quarterback who throws a duck can throw a 60-yard spiral the next play.
Kuntz illustrated the need for perfection in Friday’s preseason opener, his high snap that led to Matthew Wright’s missed extra point one of the many special teams gaffes that plagued the team in a 20-12 loss.
“I didn’t particularly play my best,” Kuntz said on the latest edition of his podcast. “Definitely had a high snap on a PAT. First one of the year that caused them to miss a field goal. 100 percent my fault. It sucks. It’s a shitty feeling…I know I could do it. I’ve done it so many times. It happens. But it’s embarrassing. You’re in front of your peers, you’ve got one job to do, and you’ve failed at that job.”
After Connor Heyward’s late third quarter touchdown, backup kicker Matthew Wright and punter/holder Cameron Johnston lined up for the extra point. Kuntz snapped high and Johnston did well to catch and settle the ball, giving Wright a chance to even kick it. But the ball pulled wide left.
As special teams coordinator Danny Smith says, field goals are an operation: A snap, a hold, a kick. It’s timing-based, and anything that alters the timing of the play can ruin it. In this case, Kuntz’s high snap was the culprit.
At the team’s following camp practice, Kuntz received wise advice from former Steelers’ snapper Mike Schneck.
“He knew that I had a bad snap. Just hearing from another guy whose done it. I think Mike snapped for 11 years in the league…He’s like, bro, it ain’t your first and it ain’t gonna be your last. You’re going to play a long time. It’s gotta be water under the bridge. You gotta forget about it. That kinda resonated with me.”
Schneck served as the Steelers long snapper from 1999 to 2004 before being replaced by Greg Warren, who held the job for over a decade. Pittsburgh doesn’t have many long snappers in their history and Kuntz is hoping to keep it that way, serving as the Steelers’ starter since beating out Kameron Canaday in 2021.
Pittsburgh tried out a pair of long snappers this week but there’s nothing to indicate Kuntz’s roster spot is in danger. He signed a three-year deal this offseason and is coming off a solid 2023 season. The good news is that it was just one snap, and it was only preseason action. To his credit, he took total responsibility for the error. But he’ll need to avoid any further mistakes, or else there will be a conversation about his status going forward. The small margin of error that exists for a snap also holds true for a long snapper’s job security.
