Steelers Free Agent Analysis: Corliss Waitman
Position: Punter
Experience: 3 Years (2 with Steelers)
Free Agent Status: Restricted
2025 Salary Cap Hit: $1,100,000
2025 Season Breakdown:
Despite setting team punting records, Corliss Waitman still leaves much to be desired for the Steelers. They tried to settle the position in 2024 free agency by signing Bill Burr’s Doppelganger, who suffered a season-ending injury on his second punt. Enter Waitman for the second time, resurrecting his career.
With 230 punts behind him now in the NFL, however, he still lacks the consistency that justifies stable employment. In fact, Waitman’s numbers last season were a downgrade from the year before. He gross average dropped from 46.4 yards to 45.5, while his net average went from 41.9 to 41.7.
It’s worth pointing out that those are the best net averages in Steelers history. But they’re still average in the context of the modern NFL. Or a little bit above, anyway. Last year, the NFL’ net punting average was 41.3 yards, which is lower than usual. Corliss Waitman didn’t even rank in the top 16 in net punting average, though.
Free Agency Outlook:
The Steelers obviously have no business signing Corliss Waitman to a restricted free agent tender. The lowest tender amount is $3,520,000, which is safely top-five punter money. Waitman is nowhere near a top-five punter in the league, even if he has some loyalists among those triggered by Pressley Harvin III’s shanks.
Even though a tender would be foolish, it goes without saying that the Steelers should re-sign Corliss Waitman. But it also wouldn’t be a bad idea to add competition. Tommy Townsend is a free agent again and not so long ago was a top punter on the market. He is not coming off his best season, but he has a career net punting average of 42.8 yards.
Failing that, with 12 draft picks, the Steelers could use one on a punter to challenge Waitman. No, Pressley Harvin didn’t work out as they’d hoped, but a lot of good punters were drafted. And with the Steelers having a new special teams coach for the first time in a while, it might be a good idea. For all we know, Waitman might not fit his preferences.
The Steelers havea long list of free agents this year, but not absolutely can’t-lose names, at least debatably. Aaron Rodgers is the presumptive exception, the team already going on record expressing the desire that he return. While the list includes significant players like Kenneth Gainwell and Isaac Seumalo, they are not overwhelmingly pressing priorities. The quarterback question supersedes all, and I don’t foresee another Mason Rudolph spring. There are some choice role players, but they wouldn’t fall apart if they lost the entire lot.
And with the Steelers introducing almost an entirely new coaching regime, the free agency direction is unclear. No doubt we will witness how things evolve in the time between February and March. It’s possible they make some significant moves, a surprising cut, work on a bold trade. After all, this is a new scheme into which they are now building.
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