Julio Aguilar/Getty Images Jordan Berry of the Pittsburgh Steelers punts the ball against the Jacksonville Jaguars on November 18, 2018.
On September 7th the Pittsburgh Steelers signed former Pro Bowl punter Dustin Colquitt, son of former Steelers punter Craig Colquitt, who won two Super Bowls with the team in the late 1970s. Colquitt came in as a replacement for Jordan Berry, who punted for the Steelers between 2015 and 2019. Apparently, Pittsburgh’s brain trust believed Colquitt, 38, would be an upgrade over Berry.
Now it seems the Steelers may be having second thoughts, as the powers-that-be had a visit with Berry today.
Jordan Berry, Ray Wilborn visiting Steelers
Meanwhile, on Monday the team also played host to linebacker Ray Wilborn, as the Steelers look for linebacker help in the wake of Devin Bush’s season-ending ACL injury.
Dustin Colquitt’s First 5 Games with the Steelers
In Colquitt’s first five games in Pittsburgh he has punted 20 times for an average of 43.1 yards per kick with a long of 59 yards. (That as compared to his 44.8 yard career average.) Notably, he has never averaged less than 44 yards per punt at anytime during his 16-year career, except for his rookie year (2005), when he had a 39.4 average.
As if that weren’t enough, his net average of 36.0 is second-worst in the league, ahead of Bradley Pinion of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who has a 35.4 average net.
This as compared to the 45.5 yards per kick average that Berry posted in 2019 (with a long of 69 yards), as well as a 40.9 average net.
Considering how Colquitt has fared thus far in 2020, the Steelers would probably sign up for Berry’s 2019 numbers right now.
Pittsburgh Has a Punter on its Practice Squad
Keep in mind that Pittsburgh also has a punter on its practice squad, that being Corliss Waitman, a rookie undrafted free agent out of South Alabama. Waitman, 25, is 6-foot-2 and 210 pounds and signed with the Steelers following the 2020 NFL Draft.
After Waitman failed to make Pittsburgh’s opening day roster, he passed through waivers and was signed to the team’s practice squad, where he has remained ever since. Waitman averaged 42.7 yards per punt over the course of his college career.
On a Lighter Note …
At the end of the Cleveland Browns game, television cameras caught a Steelers ball boy looking to fist bump rookie wide receiver Chase Claypool, except Claypool didn’t see him, which prompted injured Steelers right tackle Zach Banner to quip, “HAHA … Chase Claypool hates children.”
However, Claypool did notice a tweet that asserted how it has now been 6,220 days(!) since the Browns beat the Steelers in Pittsburgh.
“Dang I was still wearing diapers,” replied Claypool.
‘Evil Mike Tomlin’
Meanwhile, the Twitter parody account for Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin was in midseason form on Sunday, taking the time to wish Cleveland fans a “Happy Super Bowl day” before the Browns-Steelers game.
Happy Super Bowl day, @Browns fans
After Pittsburgh’s 38-7 triumph, Evil Mike Tomlin tweeted: “I miss the Browns fans who were in my mentions before the game talking all kinds of crap. Someone check on them and make sure they’re ok.”
I miss the @Browns fans who were in my mentions before the game talking all kinds of crap. Someone check on them and make sure they’re ok
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