The Pittsburgh Steelers brought back a familiar face on special teams Tuesday — punter Cameron Johnston.
Insider Mark Kaboly reported the Steelers have reunited with Johnston. The agreement comes as the team’s 2025 starting punter, Corliss Waitman, is a restricted free agent.
DK Pittsburgh Sports reported Johnston will return on a 1-year contract.
Johnston spent the 2024 season with the Steelers. However, he played in just one game. Johnston suffered a season-ending leg injury during Week 1 of that season against the Atlanta Falcons.
In 2025, Johnston began training camp with the Steelers, but Waitman won the job outright. Johnston punted for the New York Giants and Buffalo Bills during the 2025 regular season.
The veteran punter is coming back to Pittsburgh, though, with Waitman’s future uncertain.
“Waitman is restricted free agent, so bringing Johnston back could indicate a desire to not tender Waitman a contract,” wrote the DK Pittsburgh Sports X account.
Steelers Re-Sign Punter Cameron Johnston
The Steelers surprised most pundits with their release of Johnston’s last August. In 2024, the team signed Johnston to a 3-year, $9 million contract.
But Waitman, who punted in two games for the Steelers during 2021 and made his own return to Pittsburgh in 2024, won the job last summer. During the 2025 regular season, Waitman averaged 45.5 yards per punt and 41.7 net yards per punt.
He also had just a 4.8% touchback rate while dropping 41.9% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
Johnston joined the Bills after his Steelers release. But he sustained another early-season injury during Week 4. Buffalo eventually released him with an injury settlement on November 12.
In December, Johnston joined the Giants practice squad. He appeared in one game for the team.
The 34-year-old has punted in the NFL for eight seasons. In 2021, he led the league in punts and punt yardage.
Before signing with the Steelers in 2023, Johnston punted for the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans.
Will Steelers Offer Tender to Corliss Waitman?
The Steelers are planning to add Johnston with Waitman not officially on the roster. With Johnston back, the Steelers could feel comfortable allowing Waitman to depart.
After all, NFL teams only need one punter.
Johnston, though, has punted in just five games over the past two seasons. He’s sustained serious injuries twice during that stretch.
Steelers Depot wrote on X on Tuesday the contract for Johnston is likely to be for the league minimum. It’s possible the Steelers are setting up another punter competition this summer.
The team could still tender Waitman a contract to have both punters in camp again. Or, they could allow Waitman to part and sign another punter.
In his last full NFL season in 2023, Johnston averaged 47.7 yards per punt with only a 4.5% touchback rate. He also dropped 45.5% of his punts inside the 20-yard line.
Johnston posted a career-best 48.1 yards per punt average during 2022.
The Steelers have until the new league year starts to tender Waitman a contract. That makes 4 pm ET Wednesday the deadline.
It’s not clear how much the tender offer could be. If the Steelers don’t tender Waitman a deal, he will become an unrestricted free agent.
If tendered, Waitman can still negotiate with other NFL teams, but the Steelers would have the opportunity to match any offers he receives. Should the Steelers not match the offer, they would get a draft pick from Waitman’s new team.
Steelers Reunite With Veteran Specialist Amid Special Teams Uncertainty: Report