The Pittsburgh Steelers have been desperate for any sort of consistent punting for years now. They signed Cameron Johnston to be that guy in 2024, but a season-ending injury in Week 1 derailed that plan. After a rough 2025 campaign from Corliss Waitman, they brought the Australian native back for another go-round, as his low drop works well for the terrible weather in the AFC North. Hopefully, he does not get injured this time, and everyone can see how well he can truly play in the windy Northeastern region of the United States.
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Steelers punters Cameron Johnston (5) and Corliss Waitman (3) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA.
However, Johnston may have a long road ahead of him just to make the 53-man roster. Before rookie minicamp, the Steelers invited three other punters in for tryouts to see if any of them could compete with him, including a former All-Pro.
Steelers invited 3 punters in for tryouts this week for rookie minicamp. That may be an NFL record.
— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) May 8, 2026
The first of this group is Devin Bale, who is used to the rough Arkansas weather from his time with the Arkansas Razorbacks. With the school being in the Ozark Mountains, he definitely had his fair share of windy games to deal with. If he performed well there, it would not be too surprising to see him do well on flat land with all the wind and rain swirling through Acrisure Stadium in any given week.
Bale had an average of 45.4 yards per punt over his two seasons at Arkansas. He was not a very flashy punter, but he was effective out in the mountains. That is exactly what the Steelers are looking for. In fact, that is also very similar to how Johnston would be described. This would make for a solid competition if he were to be signed to the 90-man roster after his tryouts are done with.
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Pittsburgh Steelers' home field, Acrisure Stadium.
The next punter is the latest version of Pressley Harvin III: a new "Thiccus Kickus." Gabriel Nwosu went viral during the draft process for weighing in at almost 300 pounds despite being a punter. He's a local kid as well, as Steelers scouts saw plenty of him while watching the Penn State Nittany Lions play football. With his booming leg, there is plenty of upside here. The question is if it would work at Acrisure Stadium or not.
Nwosu did have 46 yards per punt in 2025, but like with Harvin, that number may not be sustainable in Pittsburgh. With his style of punting, he may be better off trying out for a team in the South or one that plays in a dome, where he would have more control. At the very least, if he does get signed to Pittsburgh's 90-man roster, it will definitely be fun watching him boom kicks all the way down the field with his large frame.
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From 2022-2024, Ryan Stonehouse was seen as one of the best punters in the NFL. In his three years with the Tennessee Titans, he had an average of over 50 yards per punt in every season, with exactly 53.1 yards per punt in each of his first two seasons. That is a level of consistency from a punter that is very rare of at the NFL level. If the Steelers can get that version of him, they will be more than excited.
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Punter Ryan Stonehouse during his time with the Titans.
Stonehouse was not re-signed by the Titans after that 2024 season, and the Miami Dolphins cut him during the 2025 preseason, and he went the whole season without punting for another team. Not only was his consistency in Tennessee surprising, but so was how quick he was out of the NFL. As a tryout candidate, it definitely makes sense for the Steelers to see if they can get the Titans' version of him again or not.
What do you think about the punting competition for Johnston? Let us know on X at @Steelers_ChrisB.
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