Will Pressley Harvin III be the Steelers’ punter again this week after Cameron Johnston’s injury?
The Steelers released Pressley Harvin III, their former draft pick, this offseason, then went out and spent on a proven commodity in Cameron Johnston to improve their punting game. Frustratingly, Johnston suffered what head coach Mike Tomlin termed a “serious” injury. While there is no official diagnosis (as of this writing), he will likely miss the rest of the season.
Even if he doesn’t, Johnston is definitely going to miss some time. Considering the short turnaround, the Steelers may opt for familiarity and sign Harvin. They drafted him in the seventh round in 2021, Harvin playing three seasons here. While he struggled, at least they are familiar with his game, and he is familiar with K Chris Boswell.
Harvin did not sign with a team after the Steelers released him in March until the San Francisco 49ers tried him out a month ago. He only lasted a couple weeks before they cut him loose, and he is readily available to sign.
But do you know who else is available for the Steelers aside from Pressley Harvin III? Corliss Waitman, the guy who punted for a couple games back in 2021. Steelers fans convinced themselves he was the answer, though he has struggled to remain employed. He did kick for the Broncos in 2022 and had a good year, but did not punt last season. He spent this offseason with the Bears but did not win the kicking job and has been unemployed since Aug. 27.
In other words, the Steelers have two punters readily available to sign today in Harvin and Waitman. That’s not ideal news, but they have a barrel of lemons on their hands with Johnston’s injury. It’s time to start making the lemonade, although that lemonade doesn’t have to be Harvin.
One thing the Steelers can’t sacrifice is a quality holder, because this team and offense will depend upon Chris Boswell. They have to ensure that whoever their punter is can hold well for Boswell, or find another holder. To his credit, Pressley Harvin III was actually a good holder for the Steelers—and made Christian Kuntz look better.
The Steelers’ 2024 season is approaching, following another disappointing year that culminated in a first-round playoff loss. The only change-up in the annual formula lately is whether they exit early or miss the playoffs altogether. They have had a long offseason since the Buffalo Bills stamped them out of their misery back in January.
The biggest question hanging over the team is the quarterback question. Does Russell Wilson make them a Super Bowl-caliber team, or are they wasting a year? How will the team continue to address the depth chart?
The regular season is here, following weeks of camp and preseason games. The Steelers made numerous moves through signings and trade—and release. More than usual, they seemed comfortable creating holes, confident they can fill them. Some they managed to fill, others not so much. Now that we have so many pieces of the puzzle, however, we merely have a new set of questions to ask.
