Steelers Punter Cam Johnston Suffers Season-Ending Injury
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin said after Sunday’s win over the Atlanta Falcons that punter Cam Johnston appeared to have sustained a serious injury, and that indeed is the case. Johnston will be out for the season with a right knee injury, according to Alan Saunders of Steelers Now, as first reported by Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Falcons wide receiver KhaDarel Hodge hit Johnston low following a punt late in the fourth quarter. Johnston’s right leg extended backwards, and it did not look good. He left on a cart and did not return.
“Cam Johnston appears to have a serious injury,” Tomlin said after the game. “I’ll have an update the next time we come together. It’s a shame for him. This guy has been spectacular through team development. He’s an absolute stud not only in his talents but his approach to business. My heart goes out to him.”
The Steelers will now be in search of a new punter. Former Steelers punters Pressley Harvin III, Brad Wing and Corliss Waitman are all free agents and could be potential options.
Miles Killebrew was called for holding on the play that Johnson suffered the injury, so the Steelers had to punt again. Kicker Chris Boswell, who was 6 of 6 on the day on field goal attempts, replaced Johnston at punter and punted a 43-yard line drive that resulted in no gain on Avery Williams’ return. Scotty Miller made a great special teams tackle on the play.
Two plays after Boswell’s punt, Kirk Cousins got picked off by cornerback Donte Jackson, which was returned for 49 yards. The Steelers managed to run some clock and Boswell nailed a field goal to extend the Steelers’ lead to 18-10.
The Steelers have been in search of a top-flight punter for the last several years. They thought Harvin was the answer, but the former Ray Guy Award winner could never put it together.
The Steelers signed Cameron Johnston to a three-year contract this offseason after he spent three seasons in Philadelphia and then three seasons in Houston. And Johnston was an instant success.
While signing autographs next to Johnston at the Friday Night Lights practice, Mike Tomlin told fans, “Hey, you guys see our new stud punter we got over here. How about five right there?”
Johnston had a banner performance in the second preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. Johnston had two 60+ yard punts, a long of 65. Overall, Johnston averaged 56.8 yards per punt.
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