Steelers’ Mike Tomlin Likely Bluffing To Raise Trade Value Of 1 Talented Player

The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting ready for their first preseason matchup of 2025 on Saturday night against the Jacksonville Jaguars. There are a lot of critical battles going on at some key positions. However, one of the greatest battles that’s not being talked about a ton is at punter. Some interesting comments were made about the punting room leading up to the matchup against Jacksonville. All eyes are now turning towards special teams after these comments made waves on Thursday.

The Steelers brought in Cameron Johnston ahead of the 2024 NFL season, but he suffered an injury early in the year. Johnston was forced to miss the entire season, and Pittsburgh then brought back punter Corliss Waitman, who did a solid job in his absence. Both players have shown strong potential, making this competition far from a sure thing.

Head Coach Mike Tomlin met with the media on Thursday, where he revealed how the battle is playing out between the two talented punters. Tomlin emphasized the importance of having a reliable punter and described the competition as critical for the team’s success going forward. Fans will be watching closely to see who ultimately earns the role as the Steelers head into the new season. There's also a real chance that Tomlin gave this quote to try and boost up possible trade value for Waitman.

"We intend on using both punters, and we'll trade punt for punt," Tomlin said of the team's plans in its preseason opener against the Jaguars. "We're probably gonna be in that posture until we get clarity, or throughout the preseason. It's highly competitive. They're both varsity. But that's the type of competition that you want."

Tomlin didn’t mince his words when he talked about the battle going on at punter. Both punters are talented, and the Steelers have a greater investment in Johnston. 

Many fans assumed it was just going to be Johnston’s job now that he’s healthy. However, that’s not how Tomlin and the Steelers brass currently view it. The preseason will be very telling about the battle between Waitman and Johnston for the punter position.

"You want guys to win jobs because of what they do, not because of what others don't do," Tomlin said. "So far, we've been really impressed by both guys, and out here, the things that we've seen in team development, we'll continue to watch them as we get into stadiums."

It’s an exciting thought for the Steelers fan base to hear that the team has two talented punters. When the Steelers drafted punter Pressley Harvin III, the hope was that he would turn into a dominant punter. Anytime a team uses one of their coveted draft picks to select a punter, that’s the expectation. Unfortunately, Harvin struggled and the Steelers went in another direction quickly after the 2023 season ended.

Steelers' Mike Tomlin May Be Bluffing About Waitman

The competition between Johnston and Waitman might not be as simple as it seems. While Tomlin is being upfront about the battle, some believe he could be using this hype around Waitman to create trade interest. Waitman showed he can perform well, and by publicly highlighting the competition, the Steelers might be sending a message to other teams that they have a valuable punter available.

This could be a strategic move by the Steelers’ front office to gain leverage in trade talks. Johnston is clearly their investment for the future, but keeping Waitman on the roster might not be necessary if another team steps up with a good offer. The preseason will give some clues about who will win the job on the field, but the real story could be off the field as the Steelers look to maximize their assets. Fans should watch both the games and the trade rumors closely as this situation unfolds.

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