Steelers P Corliss Waitman happily submits jersey No. 8 – for free – to Aaron Rodgers

Corliss Waitman wasn’t about to play hardball with the newest addition to the Pittsburgh Steelers.

The player who holds the gig as backup punter wasn’t about to exercise a rare piece of leverage against a future Hall of Fame quarterback.

“You know, it’s funny because (someone) told me, ‘Man, you guys can get a lot of money for (jersey) numbers nowadays,’” Waitman said after a minicamp session Wednesday. “And I’m like, ‘Man, we get a lot of money to play football.’ You know what I mean?”

And so Waitman put up no fight to hold onto jersey No. 8, the preferred digit for four-time NFL MVP Aaron Rodgers upon joining the Steelers via a one-year contract signed this past weekend.

While Rodgers spent his first 18 NFL seasons wearing No. 12 with the Green Bay Packers, both the New York Jets and Steelers have legendary No. 12s in their past (Joe Namath and Terry Bradshaw, respectively). Rodgers wore No. 8 the past two seasons with New York.

Waitman wore No. 8 for the Steelers in 2024, when he signed a week into the season after Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending knee injury in the opener at Atlanta. Waitman remained in No. 8 during organized team activities this spring, but, when Rodgers showed up, the digit was assigned to him.

“People always talk about the number,” Waitman said from his locker at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex. “I’m just glad my jersey’s got a Pittsburgh Steelers logo on it.

“I love it here. I’m just glad to be here.”

Waitman loves it enough that he wasn’t going to make Rodgers bid on a number. There are plenty of stories over the years of NFL players handsomely paying off a teammate to acquire a jersey number. League rules, too, can sometimes mean a player has to pay in order to compensate apparel manufacturers for existing unsold inventory.

As an undrafted rookie in camp with the Steelers in 2020, Waitman wore No. 8, but he donned a No. 10 when he punted in two regular-season games for them in 2021. The next season as the primary punter for the Denver Broncos, Waitman was No. 17.

Now, he’s No. 3.

“People act like I just gave up this great number, but I’m like, ‘I’ve still got a single digit,’” Waitman said. “I’ll be like, ‘What, you don’t like No. 3?’ They’ll be like, ‘Yeah, I like No. 3,’ and I’ll say, ‘No, I love No. 3.’

“I like my single-digit number. It still looks good.”

Waitman’s punts have looked good this summer, too — and they did last season, as well. A clear upgrade over former Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III, Waitman had averages of 46.4 yards gross and 41.4 yards net on 65 boots last season. None were blocked, 27 landed inside the 20 and only five were touchbacks.

Waitman was so good in 2024, in fact, special teams coordinator Danny Smith left the door open that he could beat out Johnston to be the Steelers’ punter in 2025 — quite a statement considering Johnston was a priority in free agency last spring, signing to a three-year, $9 million contract.

“Corliss did a great job (last season), he really did,” Smith said. “I couldn’t ask for more out of him, and that’s why I keep using the term (that) it’s going to be ‘interesting.’ (Who wins the punter’s job is) going to be interesting. (Waitman) was excellent (last season). I couldn’t ask more.”

About to turn 30 and a native of Belgium who grew up in South America, Waitman has been cut at least seven times over five years in the NFL.

“I feel like ever since I got into the league, starting 2020, I feel like I’ve been getting better every day,” Waitman said. “Every day and every year. And, of course, that’s expected with experience.

“Cam is a great dude. He’s a veteran. He’s been in the league a lot of years. He’s got paid a lot of money, and he’s earned it. He’s been doing it year in and year out. So it’s great to compete with guys like that. It makes me better. It makes him better. Competition makes everybody better.”