Player: P Aidan Laros
Stock Value: Purchased
Reasoning: Long suspected, the Steelers finally added a second punter, claiming Aidan Laros off waivers. Not a name many people are likely to know, right now, he is just another leg, but could he pose real competition for Cameron Johnston? He arrives just at the end of OTAs, so he’ll have little work leading into a long break before training camp.
This offseason, the Steelers decided to move on from Corliss Waitman as their punter, bringing back Cameron Johnston. They originally signed Johnston in 2024 on a three-year, $9 million contract, but a torn ACL changed their plans. Waitman kicked for 16 games that year and then beat out Johnston last season. But now Johnston is back, and Aidan Laros thus far is his only challenger.
A rookie college free agent, Laros punted for two seasons for Kentucky. He averaged a 44.9-yard net for his career, including 44.5 yards per punt on 50 punts last season. He initially signed with the Buccaneers, who just waived him to sign a kicker, and so the wheel turns.
Given that the Steelers already felt comfortable moving on from Cameron Johnston a year ago, and he never found a stable job after that, it’s fair to wonder about his job security. Whether it’s Aidan Laros or eventually somebody else, there could be some meaningful competition. After all, they have an entirely new special teams coaching staff now—and are looking for a new assistant.
Right now, Aidan Laros has precious little time to get in some pointers at the end of OTAs. He’ll have to pick up what he can in short order and then begin to prepare himself for training camp. But that’s life in the NFL on the fringes, at which specialists nearly always operate.
With the 2026 offseason well underway and many moves made, we have stock to take. Already promisinga year of change, the Steelers are shaking things up. That is unavoidable, of course, when you gut the coaching staff. Mike Tomlin’s resignation has fundamentally changed this football team, including the players on the roster.
After a long season, the Steelers showed the ability to win the division and make the playoffs. But they also showed that their progress was minimal,since they made it no further. Two years in a row, with two different quarterbacks, they went 10-7 and lost in the Wild Card Round. The only differences are they ended the season on a higher note and won the AFC North. But it didn’t help.
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