The Pittsburgh Steelers didn’t have many position battles entering training camp with most of the jobs settled. But they did have one rather important one up for grabs. And it’s still up for grabs entering the final preseason game Thursday night in Carolina.
That would be at punter where veterans Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman are battling it out for the job. Johnson was signed to a three-year deal last offseason to be the answer at the position, but he was lost for the year in the fourth quarter of the season opener in Atlanta.
Waitman stepped into the mix after that and performed well, also holding for kicker Chris Boswell in a historic season. But that performance didn’t guarantee him anything for this season, just like Johnston’s contract hasn’t guaranteed him the job, either.
Head coach Mike Tomlin stated the battle will come down to the final preseason game, and so far that appears to be the case. For Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reporter Brian Batko, the battle truly is a coin flip and has the Steelers feeling good about either path they take.
“I could see that going either way, and if you believe Mike Tomlin, it’s gonna come down to the third and final preseason game, too, because they want the competition to play out and give those guys an opportunity,” Batko said of the position battle, according to audio via 93.7 The Fan. “Both have been really good [in] game. Cam Johnston’s got more of an NFL resume, but all Corliss Waitman did last year was fill in admirably and not cause them to go into a revolving door punters and also held the ball securely and well for Chris Boswell’s best season to date.”
That last sentence from Batko is noteworthy. Last season holding for Boswell, Waitman saw the Steelers kicker lead the NFL in scoring while also earning a first-team All-Pro accolade. Waitman also had a record-setting season punting the ball, setting the franchise mark for net yards per punt in a single season.
Johnston has more experience though and has been a bit more consistent throughout his career. The career averages for both are similar though, so it could come down to a financial decision, where the Steelers could save some money by going with Waitman over Johnston.
Both are performing well in the preseason, making it an even harder decision.
In the preseason opener against Jacksonville, Waitman punted once for 57 yards with a net of 51. Against Tampa Bay, he punted three times, averaging 58 yards with a long of 64 yards, downing one inside the 20-yard line. Johnston was very good, too. Against Jacksonville he punted twice with a long of 52 yards and downed a punt inside the 20. Then, in the loss to Tampa Bay, Johnston punted three times, averaged 42.3 yards and downed two inside the 20-yard line.
The performances are making it tough to decide.
“So, Waitman booms it. When special teams coach Danny Smith talk about Cam Johnston, he always talks how he has game, which essentially means he’s really good at angling his punts and kinda knowing exactly where to put it,” Batko said. “Basically, the stuff that is not obvious to the naked eye unless you’re a special team coordinator. I think it’s a coin flip honestly, but I’ll go ahead and pick the underdog in Waitman and say he surprises, upsets the sort of incumbent, the better accomplished player.”
Waitman has a big leg, but Johnson is very good at the finer points of punting, which fits into what the Steelers like to do on special teams under Smith. So, it’s a tough decision to make. Long snapper Christian Kuntz recently called it the hardest decision the team will have to make.
We’ll see what direction they go in, but all eyes will be on the punters Thursday night in Charlotte.
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