Steelers sign veteran punter Dustin Colquitt, release Jordan Berry

The Pittsburgh Steelers on Monday signed 16-year veteran punter Dustin Colquitt, the son of the team’s punter during Super Bowl seasons of four decades ago.

Dustin Colquitt missed only two Kansas City Chiefs games from the time he was a third-round draft pick in 2005 until his release by the Super Bowl champions in April. A two-time Pro Bowl honoree, the 38-year-old Colquitt has a career gross punting average of 44.8 yards and a career net of 39.1 yards.

Colquitt replaces Jordan Berry, who had been the Steelers’ punter since 2015 but was released in a corresponding roster move Monday. Berry has a career gross average of 44.2 and net of 39.9.

The Steelers regularly provided training-camp competition for Berry over the years. Early during the 2018 regular season, they brought in free-agent punters to work out for them. This year, the Steelers signed one of the top undrafted free-agent rookie punters, Corliss Waitman. A strong-legged lefty, Waitman showed potential in camp and was named to the Steelers’ practice squad.

Waitman also handled kickoffs in college at South Alabama and is a candidate to take over those duties from Chris Boswell.

Craig Colquitt punted for the Steelers for six seasons between 1978-84, never having a punt blocked in that time. Two of his sons, Dustin and Britton, became longtime NFL punters. Britton Colquitt, 35, signed a three-year, $9 million extension with the Minnesota Vikings in March.

Berry was the 10th punter the Steelers had cycled through over a span of nine years when he beat out fellow Australian Brad Wing for the job during the 2015 training camp. But Berry held onto the gig for five seasons, never missing a game.

Punters also serve as holders for the Steelers, and Berry was trusted in that area enough so that in no small part it is why he was kept on the roster so long. Colquitt performed those duties for the Chiefs.

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