Steelers notes: P Cameron Johnston 100%, Alex Highsmith believes T.J. Watt will get deal

Cameron Johnston is back booting punts at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

“Yeah,” he said after Thursday’s Pittsburgh Steelers organized team activities session, “and it feels really, really good.”

Johnston was a marquee free-agent signee for the Steelers in spring 2024, and during training camp and the preseason showed why. After years of middling results from their punting game, the Steelers finally had one of the NFL’s best.

But that lasted only one game. Johnston suffered a significant injury when his knee was hit during the season opener against the Atlanta Falcons.

“It was definitely tough. It was tough to watch it all season,” Johnston said. “But, you know, it’s all behind me now so it’s just so good to be back out on the field. Incredible staff here. They helped with all the rehab.”

Johnston did not specify if his injury was an ACL, but the standard recovery time for that is typically cited at nine months. That nine-month mark has not quite hit yet, and Johnston said he’s been punting for “the past few months.”

“Yeah, everything feels really good,” he said. “We’ve put a lot of work into it … All locked in, yeah.”

In the wake of Johnston’s injury last year, the Steelers signed Corliss Waitman, who performed well and was an upgrade from what the Steelers had gotten the previous three years from Pressley Harvin III.

Waitman is still with the Steelers. If Johnston and Waitman both have strong camps/preseasons, the Steelers could trade one to a punter-needy team.

Watt’s up

T.J. Watt remains among a small handful of veterans who are absent from OTAs, which are not mandatory. As a nine-year veteran, it would not be atypical for Watt to miss some of these workouts, but speculation abounds about whether Watt is intentionally skipping OTAs as a public show of dissatisfaction with negotiations on a contract extension.

Fellow outside linebacker Alex Highsmith on Thursday was asked about Watt.

“I’ve been catching up with him whole offseason,” Highsmith said. “He really wants to be here. I’m very confident they’re going to get a deal done, and he’s going to be coming back here.”

Watt “held in” during summer 2021, the previous time he was entering the final year of his contract and due an extension.

Lucky No. 14

New RB Kenneth Gainwell on assisting to the Steelers after 4 seasons with the Eagles pic.twitter.com/6X2ktOdO5e

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) May 29, 2025

Kenneth Gainwell has worn No. 14 throughout his NFL career, including during two Super Bowls while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles. But upon signing with the Steelers in March, No. 14 was taken.

Not anymore.

Though Gainwell initially was assigned No. 21, the trade of George Pickens earlier this month vacated No. 14.

He pounced on the opportunity.

“Yeah, (No. 14) means a lot to me,” Gainwell said Thursday. “I’m excited about it. I know it was a previous guy’s number, but that doesn’t mean anything (anymore). I’m excited to be back in 14 and continue that legacy.”

For a brief period, the Steelers gave No. 14 to Montana Lemonious-Craig after they signed him off his appearance as a tryout at rookie minicamp. As a veteran, though, Gainwell’s wishes take precedence.