Steelers All 90: Passion, Focus at Odds for Pittsburgh Native Christian Kuntz

Several members of the Pittsburgh Steelers grew up with the club as their favored team growing up, but none were born into being a part of Steelers Nation in the same way as long snapper Christian Kuntz.

A Bridgeville native and Chartiers Valley High School alum, Kuntz was a Steelers fan from birth, right on through his days as a college linebacker at Duquesne University.

There’s no one in the Steelers locker room that has a greater knowledge or appreciation for the history of the Steelers organization, what it means to put on those black and gold uniforms and how much every game means to the fans and the city that the team calls home.

That passion that the fans impart on the game is a benefit for many of the Steelers players, who can use the yelling, screaming, Terrible Towel-twirling, Renegade and Iron City-fueled seething masses to get them fired up before each and every snap.

That’s not really a thing for a long snapper, though. In fact, the biggest part of Kuntz’ job requires the kind of concentration and precision that doesn’t exactly go hand in hand with the rabid passion of the fanbase.

“I just try to keep it as narrow and as level-headed as possible,” Kuntz said. “Because my stuff has got to be the same every time. You can’t really get too emotional, even if it’s overtime or whatever the circumstance is. It’s just not the same for us, and I know that’s how Bos and Pressley feel, too.”

Bos and Pressley are Steelers kicker Chris Boswell and punter Pressley Harvin III. Along with Kuntz, the team’s specialist trio are entering their third full season altogether. That togetherness is key for the timing of the precise kicking operation.

The Steelers saw that first hand in 2022, when the Cincinnati Bengals were forced to use a backup long snapper in the Steelers’ Week 1 game. Bengals kicker Evan McPherson, who earlier in the game kicked a gigantic 59-yard field goal and is one of the most talented kickers in the NFL, missed a chip shot field goal and had an extra point blocked in the final minutes of regulation and overtime, twice letting the Steelers back into the game when it looked like they had lost.

“It’s tough on whoever the snapper is,” Kuntz said. “He threw a nice ball. We were watching him on the sideline before the kick. He looked like he was going to get the job done. It just changes when you get in there.”

The coordination level between the three specialists, now on their third season together, is a big benefit in bringing things together.

“We’re together non-stop,” Kuntz said. “Sometimes I make jokes like, I’ve got to get away from you guys.”

46 • Christian Kuntz, Long Snapper, Duquesne
6-foot-1, 227 pounds, 28 year old, 3rd Season

Acquired: Christian Kuntz signed with the Steelers for a second stint as a street free agent on March 30, 2020. He re-signed with the team on one-year deals in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

Last season: Kuntz played in all 17 games as the Steelers’ top long snapper for the second consecutive season. He recorded two tackles covering punts.

The 2023 season saw the Steelers use three different kickers, as Chris Boswell dealt with an injury and Matthew Wright and Nick Sciba both filled in for a total of five games.

Career: Kuntz signed with the New England Patriots as an undrafted free agent out of Duquesne in 2017, after which he first started long snapping.

Kuntz spent time with the Denver Broncos and Jacksonville Jaguars in 2018 and 2019, but did not play in a game. He was signed by the Steelers for the first time on Aug. 15, 2019 and he recorded five tackles and a sack in a preseason game against Carolina, but was among the team’s roster cuts at the end of camp. Kuntz played with the Dallas Renegades of the XFL in the spring of 2020.

After the XFL folded, Kuntz re-joined the Steelers. He was waived on Aug. 2, but the Steelers re-signed him to their practice squad on Nov. 24. He spent the rest of the season on and off the practice squad, as the Steelers attempted to keep backups for all three of their specialists within the NFL’s COVID-19 testing protocols.

In 2021, Kuntz carved out an NFL role for the first time, beating out Kam Canaday in a training camp battle to unseat the Steelers’ incumbent long snapper. Kuntz played in all 17 games in 2021 and made two tackles.

College: After an ACL injury cost him his junior season with the Dukes, Kuntz broke out with a strong redshirt junior season in 2015, with 26 tackles for loss to lead all FCS players along with 11 sacks, the third-best season for a Duquesne defender.

In 2016, he ranked second in the FCS with 11.5 sacks and 24 tackles for loss and became an FCS All-American.

Salary cap and future: Kuntz will count for $940,000 against the Steelers’ salary cap in 2023. He has no signing bonus. After the season, Kuntz will be a restricted free agent.

The rest of the 90: