Steelers Lose $9 Million Signing to Season-Ending Injury After Week 1

The Pittsburgh Steelers were victorious in Week 1 — but not without suffering an important loss.

“Steelers punter Cameron Johnston suffered a season-ending knee injury in Sunday’s win over the [Atlanta] Falcons, sources say,” reported NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport on September 9. “A blow to Pittsburgh special teams in more ways than one, as Johnston was also the holder for Chris Boswell.”

Johnston was brought in this spring to shore up the punting game, signing a $9 million contract that is spread out over three seasons. And as we all witnessed on Sunday, good kickers and punters can help win football games.

Unfortunately, Pittsburgh must now carry on without the veteran addition for the remainder of the year.

Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin acknowledged that Johnston was believed to have suffered a “serious injury” after the game on September 8. Noting: “I’ll have an update for you next time we come together.”

“It’s a shame for him,” Tomlin said at the time. “This guy has been spectacular, man, through team development. He’s an absolute stud. Not only in his talents, but his approach to business and so, you know, my heart goes out to him.”

Steelers’ Punting Options Include 3 Potential Reunions

Expect punter tryouts and a new signing before the week is out. Wide receiver Scotty Miller stepped up and proved he could hold for Boswell in a pinch, but the Steelers will still need a new professional punter to flip the field.

After the news, Steelers Depot suggested a few former Steelers punters who are currently available, including Brad Wing, Pressley Harvin III and Corliss Waitman.

Wing has already had multiple stints with Tomlin’s Steelers, so there’s some familiarity and experience there. He also spent two games with the organization as recently as 2023, producing 3 punts inside the 20-yard line compared to 2 touchbacks, along with a net average of 38.9 yards.

Wing punted for the UFL’s San Antonio Brahmas this spring (12 pins inside the 20 compared to 3 touchbacks).

Harvin is younger than Wing, but the Steelers just chose to move on from the former seventh-round selection. He punted for the franchise from 2021 through 2023 and spent the 2024 preseason with the San Francisco 49ers.

Harvin has a career net average of 39.4 yards at the NFL level, with 75 punts pinned inside the 20 compared to 14 touchbacks.

Finally, Waitman is another journeyman that began with the Steelers as a UDFA and then appeared in a couple of games for Pittsburgh in 2021. He holds a career net average of 41.6 yards with 31 pins inside the 20 compared to 7 touchbacks.

Aside from those reunions, another option might be veteran journeyman and long-time Miami Dolphins and Buffalo Bills punter Matt Haack — who was released by Buffalo earlier this offseason after re-signing with them as injury insurance.

Haack has landed 160 punts inside the 20 throughout his career compared to 25 touchbacks. He holds a career net average of 39.2 yards.

Steelers Fans Rip NFL Officials for Handling of Play That Caused Cameron Johnston’s Injury

Perhaps the most annoying part about Johnston’s injury is that the cause went unpunished by NFL officials.

“Good god, on an obvious roughing the [kicker] call that could have broken Cameron Johnston’s leg, they call holding on the kicking team. Stripes must have money on the Falcons, only explanation,” one fan commented on September 8.

After the injury update on September 9, a different fan echoed that sentiment.

“I’m still not over the fact that the Falcons took out Cameron Johnston for the year, yet all we got for compensation on that play was a holding penalty,” the user said. “Only that [expletive] happens to the Steelers.”

And finally, a third Pittsburgh supporter wrote: “If you follow the Steelers, you know how much of a challenge punting has been over the past few years. Cameron Johnston was the answer to that. His hype throughout camp was as high as his hang time. This is a brutal loss. Especially on a play that was blown by the officials.”