After busy first 24 hours of free-agent activity, the Pittsburgh Steelers largely kept quiet on Day 2 of the NFL’s so-called “legal tampering period.”
Aside from extending the contract of one of their own — Cameron Heyward — the Steelers made only one formal or reported move Tuesday, the eve of the official new league year getting underway 4 p.m. Wednesday.
And while the team’s quest for defensive line depth, a possible new starting left guard, maybe a safety or even another wide receiver must wait, the Steelers did make one acquisition.
Punter.
The Steelers reunited with Cameron Johnston, announcing a one-year contract with the punter from Australia.
Johnson, 34, was with the Steelers for about 18 months from March 2024 until the end of this past year’s training camp. He had signed a three-year, $9 million contract to join the team but suffered a season-ending knee injury in his team regular-season debut.
Corliss Waitman filled in admirably for Johnston the remainder of that 2024 season and then beat him out during a preseason competition this past summer. Waitman is a currently a restricted free agent, and to hold his rights the Steelers must make a qualifying offer by 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Johnston, who is entering his 10th NFL season, punted in four regular-season games last season — three for the Buffalo Bills and one for the New York Giants. Johnston suffered a foot injury during his stint with the Bills.
Johnston’s signing is the first announced by the Steelers since free agency began, but that is because when last season ended he was not on any team’s active roster. While plenty of moves have been reported and contracts agreed to — including several by the Steelers — in NFL free agency no deals are technically binding until after 4 p.m. Wednesday.
Before his injury woes these past two seasons, Johnston had a reputation as one of the NFL’s better punters over three seasons each with the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.
In his most recent full season — 2023 for Houston — Johnston ranked tied for sixth in the NFL in net punting average (43.7 yards), his 45.5% rate of punts inside the opponents’ 20 yard-line was sixth-best in the NFL and his 4.5% rate of touchbacks ranked ninth.
The Steelers typically bring two punters to training camp so could be adding another one, whether or not they re-sign Waitman.
Waitman’s gross (46.4-yard average to 45.5) and net (41.9 to 41.7) punting averages declined slightly from 2024 to 2025 for the Steelers. He ranked 27th among 35 qualifying punters in gross punting average and 17th in net.
