Steph Chambers/Getty Images Braden Mann (#7) and Greg Zuerlein of the New York Jets react after a field goal attempt against the Seattle Seahawks on January 1, 2023.
If Pressley Harvin III wants to serve as punter for the Pittsburgh Steelers for the third year in a row, he’ll have to beat out a fourth-year vet to keep the job. According to Field Yates of ESPN — as well as the NFL’s daily personnel notice — the Steelers have claimed former Jets punter Braden Mann.
The Steelers have claimed P Braden Mann off of waivers from the Jets.
Braden Mann Has Long Served as a Punter/Kickoff Specialist
Mann, 25, was drafted by the Jets in the 6th round in 2020, after a stellar four year career at Texas A&M during which he won the Ray Guy Award (2018), as well as SEC Special Teams Player of the Year. In fact, he served as the Aggies’ kickoff specialist during his freshman and sophomore seasons (2016-17), before adding punting duties for the final two years of his college career.
During the three seasons he played for the Jets, Mann appeared in 43 games and punted 206 times for 9,362 yards, an average of 45.4 yards per kick and a net average of 39.8. He also served as a kickoff specialist, and attracted notice for an unconventional onside kick attempt against the New England Patriots in Oct. 2022.
it didn’t work, but i greatly appreciate Braden Mann’s trickshot, behind-the-leg attempt at fooling the Patriots with his onside kick
Mann’s ability to kick off prompted Alex Kozora of Steelers Depot to wonder whether the Steelers might utilize him on kickoffs, in an effort to lessen the workload on oft-injured placekicker Chris Boswell.
Worth pointing out new Steelers’ punter Braden Mann has also been a kickoff specialist throughout his career. Reduced role in 2022 but he’s had good numbers in the past. 91% touchback rate in 2021.
With Chris Boswell’s injuries, wonder if they’d look to lessen his load on KOs.
But first he’ll have to beat out the oftentimes inconsistent Harvin, who was a 7th-round pick in 2021 out of Georgia Tech. Over the course of two seasons in Pittsburgh, Harvin appeared in 32 games and punted 139 times for 6,054 yards, good for a 43.5-yard average and a 39.5-yard net.
Harvin is scheduled to count $960,183 against the salary cap in 2023, as per overthecap.com. If he is released post-June 1, 2023, the Steelers would save his $940,000 salary and trigger a dead money charge of just $20,183.
Earlier in the offseason, the Steelers had the opportunity to potentially reacquire Corliss Waitman, but he signed with the New England Patriots just a day after the Denver Broncos withdrew his tender, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Jets Fans to Steelers Fans: ‘Best of Luck’ (with Braden Mann)
According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the Jets waived Mann only after making an effort to trade him.
Jets will waive P Braden Mann after attempting to trade him, per source. Now instead of trading for him, any team will have ability to claim him.
But if Jets Twitter is any indication, New York fans aren’t unhappy about seeing Mann go.
One representative Jets fan responded to Field Yates’ tweet by writing: “Sorry Steelers fans.”
@FieldYates Sorry Steelers fans.
Another tweeted: “best of luck Pittsburgh I’ve never seen a punter with more negative impact than him.”
@FieldYates @uSTADIUM best of luck Pittsburgh I’ve never seen a punter with more negative impact than him
Yet another wrote: “Guy is great if you want him to do onside kicks or shank a punt in a critical situation.”
@FieldYates @AdamSchefter Guy is great if you want him to do onside kicks or shank a punt in a critical situation
All that said, Mann is best-remembered by Jets fans for a touchdown-saving tackle he made during a game against the Los Angeles Rams in Dec. 2021, one that helped New York win its first game of that 2-14 season.
Punter Braden Mann will be competing with Pressley Harvin III at Steelers training camp this summer. This guy definitely isn’t afraid to make a tackle, that’s for sure.
The Jacksonville Jaguars went on to select Clemson quarterback Trevor Lawrence No. 1 overall, while the Jets settled for QB Zach Wilson, a distinction that Jets fans haven’t forgotten.
@FieldYates @AdamSchefter He cost the Jets Trevor Lawrence