There are a few positions on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ roster where we could see some battles for starting spots. One of those that’s less of a topic of discussion is at punter. Although Corliss Waitman did a solid job in 2024, Steelers insider Gerry Dulac doesn’t think Cameron Johnston will have any trouble earning the job back in 2025.
During his weekly Pittsburgh Post-Gazette chat on Wednesday, Dulac was asked who the Steelers might choose if Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman are performing at the same level through training camp. His answer was short and sweet.
“It will be Johnston,” Dulac wrote.
Johnston started his first year with the Steelers in 2024, but things came to a halt extremely quickly. During a punt late in the fourth quarter in the Steelers’ Week 1 win over the Atlanta Falcons, Johnston was run into and suffered a season-ending knee injury.
That led to Waitman taking over after the Steelers signed him. All things considered he did a solid job. Waitman, who did not play during the 2023 season, averaged 46.4 yards on 65 punts with only five touchbacks. Twenty-seven of his punts were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. That’s pretty efficient.
Waitman did have one tough moment. During the Steelers’ loss to the Cleveland Browns in the middle of a blizzard, Waitman had his worst punt of the year at the worst possible time. That gave the Browns excellent field position late in the fourth quarter and led to their game-winning touchdown. Aside from that, there really wasn’t anything to complain about with Waitman. He even set a franchise record in net punting average.
With that said, Cameron Johnston was the Steelers’ first choice in 2024. He’s had a consistent career, so it’s understandable. He has a career average of 47.3 yards per punt with just 28 touchbacks andf 183 punts downed inside opponents’ 20-yard line. He’s also been in the league for more than twice as long as Waitman. Combine that with his contract, and the Steelers’ preference, in Dulac’s mind at least, is understandable.
Still, leg injuries are always weird for kickers and punters. Fortunately, Johnston seems to be making a good recovery. He’s even punting already.
That’s a good sign, especially this early in the offseason. While Waitman was solid for the Steelers in 2024, it looks like he’ll have to be even more impressive to win the job in 2025.
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