Steelers agree to terms with veteran punter Cameron Johnston
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The Pittsburgh Steelers wasted little time filling one of their most glaring holes.
The void at punter.
Not much more than four hours into the start of the so-called “legal tampering period” of NFL free agency, word broke the Steelers had agreed to terms with veteran Cameron Johnston. Johnson, 32, punted the past three seasons for the Houston Texans after spending his first three pro seasons with the Philadelphia Eagles.
The signing was first reported by veteran NFL reporter Aaron Wilson of NBC’s Houston affiliate, KPRC.
Johnston replaces Pressley Harvin III, the Steelers’ seventh-round pick in 2021 whose strong leg has been overshadowed by inconsistency throughout his career thus far. Harvin was released last month.
Four early season games last season in which he was on injured reserve as the result of a calf ailment are the lone contests Johnston has missed since he entered the NFL.
Johnston last season ranked tied for sixth in the NFL in net punting average (43.7 yards) and was 14th among 33 qualifiers in gross average (47.7). His 45.5% rate of punts inside the opponents’ 20 yard line was sixth-best in the NFL, his 4.5% rate of touchbacks ranked ninth.
In all those categories in 2023, Johnston ranked ahead of Harvin, with whom coach Mike Tomlin became outwardly agitated as the season progressed. During his season-ending news conference, Tomlin said the 25-year-old Harvin “wasn’t consistent enough, particularly down the stretch.”
Judged by the basic statistics, 2023 was Johnston’s best season. Only one of Johnston’s 445 career punts has been blocked.
A native of the state of Victoria in the continent’s southeast corner, Johnston is the latest Steelers punter from Australia. Other Aussies who have punted for the team in recent years are Brad Wing (2014 and filling in for an injured Harvin for two games last season) and Jordan Berry (2015-2020).
Signings cannot become official until the new league year begins 4 p.m. Wednesday.
The Steelers entered free agency with roughly $24 million in salary-cap space.