The Pittsburgh Steelers failed to offer tenders to restricted free agent P Corliss Waitman, EDGE Jeremiah Moon, C Ryan McCollum, making them unrestricted free agents as the new league officially began Wednesday at 4 PM/EST.
A fourth RFA, DL Esezi Otomewo, is reportedly returning not on a tender but via a separate one-year contract. Pittsburgh’s lone exclusive rights free agent, DL Jacob Slade, was also not tendered.
The Steelers officially did not issue tenders to:
OL Ryan McCollum RFA
OLB Jeremiah Moon RFA
DL Esezi Otomewo RFA
P Corliss Waitman RFA
DL Jacob Slade EFA
It's been reported that Otomewo is re-signing on a one-year deal.#Steelers #NFL
— Steelers Depot 7⃣ (@Steelersdepot) March 11, 2026
Though untendered, it’s possible these players are signed back on separate contracts far cheaper than the tender amount, which sat at $3.52 million for the lowest level. Long snapper Christian Kuntz hinted that’ll be the case with Waitman, who would then compete with Cameron Johnston in a redo of 2025’s training camp battle. Johnston signed back with Pittsburgh yesterday.
Waitman’s served as the Steelers’ starting punter for the bulk of the past two seasons. His play was inconsistent and though he dealt with the difficulty of a Pittsburgh winter, his numbers weren’t great. In 2024, Waitman averaged 46.4 gross yards followed by a 45.4-yard figure in 2025. A solid holder, he worked well with K Chris Boswell, and his left-footed punting provided a small but important advantage that helped him beat out Johnston last training camp.
Waitman first punted for the Steelers in 2021, filling in for Pressley Harvin III for two games. In 2022, Waitman became the Denver Broncos’ starting punter and led the NFL with 96 boots. Spending 2023 on the sidelines, Waitman found his way back to Pittsburgh in 2024 after Johnston suffered a season-ending knee injury in Week 1.
Moon has bounced on and off the Steelers’ roster the last two years. In 2025, he appeared in two games and recorded two tackles. His most notable highlight came in 2024, blocking a punt in a win over the Las Vegas Raiders.
McCollum’s served as Pittsburgh’s backup center the last two seasons. He filled in twice for Zach Frazier in 2024. While McCollum earned one official start in 2025, it came as a tackle-eligible in a Week 10 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers. With Frazier healthy throughout the year, McCollum logged just 10 offensive snaps. He may return on a cheaper deal, though a new coaching staff may want to assemble its own offensive line depth.
Slade suffered a training camp knee injury and spent the year on injured reserve. He’s yet to appear in an NFL game.
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