Just when it looked like the Pittsburgh Steelers had the punter position figured out following the addition of Cameron Johnston in free agency this offseason, it appears the team will be going back to square one very soon following Johnston’s “serious” injury suffered Sunday in Atlanta.
Johnston was injured on a punt in the fourth quarter after getting hit in the lower leg when his kicking leg was planted in the turf after his follow through, causing his knee to buckle awkwardly and leaving him in considerable pain.
Johnston hobbled off the field after being attended to by trainers, and then was carted to the locker room. After the 18-10 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Tomlin called it a “serious” injury and spoke glowingly about Johnston. But based on how things look and how Tomlin talked after the game, it seems likely Johnston will be out a long time.
So, the Steelers will be back in the punter market ahead of Week 2 in Denver.
The Pat McAfee Show correspondent Mark Kaboly, during an appearance on the 93.7 The Fan Morning Show Monday, stated he believes it’ll be a familiar face that comes back to the Steelers, and that he would guess former Steelers’ punter Pressley Harvin III would get the first call from the organization.
“I’m guessing somebody they’ve already had in already. If it’s Pressley Harvin, he had a pretty decent preseason, but he’s almost more of a good weather guy, right?” Kaboly said of the Steelers’ punter situation, according to video via 93.7 The Fan on YouTube. “He’s very good when the weather’s nice out, when it’s not nice out, he’s a little iffy. I mean, Brad Wing did decent when he was here, what last year. I’m sure there’s punters out there. They’re just gonna have to bring him in there. It’s a shame. ‘Cause I mean, Cam Johnson’s out for the season. Not only is he a good guy, he’s a heck of a punter, maybe one of their best punters in the past 30 or 40 years. And that’s a kick in the teeth right there with that.
“But yeah, that hurts because when you play defense, run the ball, the third part of that equation is being able to punt the ball and put yourself in good situation for the defense to be able to create a long field,” Kaboly added. “And I don’t know who they’re bringing in. I would guess Pressley Harvin might get the call first.”
Kaboly did say on The Fan that Johnston is out for the season, but that has not been reported anywhere at this time. Kaboly did report Sunday night after the game that Johnston was set for an MRI and that the belief was it was not good, echoing what Tomlin stated during the press conference after the win. But we’ll see what the official word is.
For now, though, the Steelers have to at least find a punter for the foreseeable future.
As Kaboly laid out, Pressley Harvin III could get a call back after he spent the past three seasons with the Steelers after being a seventh-round pick out of Georgia Tech. He consistently struggled during his time in Pittsburgh, especially when the weather turned bad.
During his three seasons in Pittsburgh, Harvin averaged 43.7 yards per punt and had 75 punts downed inside the 20-yard line out of 217 career punts. Those numbers look solid on paper, but consistency was a massive issue with Harvin. Sometimes, he’d bomb a 60+ yarder, but then follow it up with a 30-yard shank.
It was maddening, and it led to the Steelers moving on. Harvin landed with the San Francisco 49ers this offseason and had a strong preseason, but was cut during final cutdowns. He could be an option.
So, too, could Brad Wing, who punted in three games last season for the Steelers and averaged 45.0 yards per punt on 11 punts for the Black and Gold.
Outside of those two familiar names, there are other punters available, including veteran punter Matt Haack, who spent time in Miami, Buffalo, Indianapolis and Cleveland in his career, and punted against the Steelers in the AFC Wild Card Round in January with the Bills.
Rookie UDFA Austin McNamara out of Texas Tech is out there as well, having spent some time this summer with the Cincinnati Bengals. He was a three-time Big 12 first-team punter with the Red Raiders and was the Big 12’s Special Teams Player of the Year in 2023.
The Steelers should have options out there. But as Kaboly stated, it’s likely going to be someone they’re familiar with, and that could start with Harvin.
