Former Projected Steelers Starter Signs With Buffalo Bills: Report
Veteran punter Cameron Johnston was among the more surprising roster cuts for the Pittsburgh Steelers in late August before the 2025 regular season. But Johnston has officially found his next NFL opportunity.
NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero reported Tuesday the punter has signed with the Buffalo Bills.
Johnston punted in just one game for the Steelers. That was Week 1 of the 2024 campaign. Johnston suffered a season-ending injury in the matchup versus the Atlanta Falcons.
Entering 2025, most pundits expected Johnston to regain his punter role in Pittsburgh. But the Steelers elected to keep Corliss Waitman, who replaced Johnston for the team last year, instead.
Cameron Johnston Signs With Buffalo Bills: Report
The 33-year-old will bring seven years of NFL experience to Buffalo. He’s averaged 47 yards per punt and posted a 41.8 net yards per punt total in 96 NFL games.
The Bills made multiple changes on special teams Tuesday. At punter, Buffalo signed Johnston and waived fellow punter Brad Robbins.
Robbins punted four times for the Bills in Week 1. He averaged 39.5 yards per punt and 38 net yards per attempt. He pinned Buffalo’s opponent, the Baltimore Ravens, inside the 20-yard line once.
Robbins is younger than Johnston but doesn’t have as much NFL experience. Robbins appeared in 17 games for the Cincinnati Bengals during 2023. The 26-year-old averaged 44.3 yards per punt and 40.1 net yards per attempt.
He didn’t appear in an NFL regular season game for the Bengals or any other team during 2024.
Johnston began his career with the Philadelphia Eagles. His 48.1 yards per punt as a rookie in 2018 remains at least tied for his career best. Johnston matched that total in 2022 with the Houston Texans.
He punted three seasons for the Eagles and then three in Houston. Johnston signed a three-year contract to join the Steelers ahead of 2024.
In 2021, Johnston led the NFL with 88 punts and 4,108 punt yards. He set a career-best 43.7 net yards per punt with the Texans in 2023.
If he remains with the Bills, the Steelers will see Johnston when Buffalo visits Pittsburgh during Week 13 on November 30.
Steelers Moving Forward With Punter Corliss Waitman
The NFL doesn’t stop when one is injured. That means a player’s job isn’t guaranteed to be theirs when they return.
That was the case for Johnston. Waitman punted well after replacing Johnston ahead of the second game of the season last year. Waitman averaged 46.4 yards per punt and 41.4 net yards per attempt in 2024. He also pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line on 41.5% of his punts.
Most importantly, the cold, wintery weather the Steelers played in last year didn’t impact him at all. Waitman averaged 46.3 yards per punt in the final six games of 2024.
This summer, the Steelers had both Waitman and Johnston competing for the punter role. Somewhat surprisingly, Waitman won the job.
“It was a tight competition through camp, but the Steelers appear to go with Corliss Waitman as their punter,” ESPN’s Brooke Pryor wrote on X on Aug. 25. “Signed after Johnston’s season-ending knee injury, Waitman averaged 46.6 YPP in 2024.”
Waitman out-punted Johnston during the preseason, but money may have played a role in the decision as well. Cutting Johnston saved the Steelers $2.5 million against the salary cap.
In Week 1, Waitman averaged 47.5 yards per punt and 42.8 net yards per attempt on four punts. He pinned the New York Jets inside the 20-yard line once.
Bears’ Darnell Wright Sounds off on Controversial Holding Call
The Chicago Bears suffered a tough break in their matchup against the Minnesota Vikings, and right tackle Darnell Wright found himself at the center of controversy.
Darnell Wright Responds to Controversial Holding Call
Late in the game, Wright was flagged for a holding penalty that stalled what looked to be a promising drive for Chicago. After the game, Wright was asked about the call and sounded off on the call by the officials.
“It’s a simple, you tuck the jersey down, it’s a hold. If you knock the arms down it’s not. Obviously, you can see I knocked his arms down. He saw it the other way. It is what it is,” Wright explained.
His statement reflected the frustration of an offensive lineman who believed he executed the play correctly, only to see it penalized and change the tide of the game.
Offensive line play is often one of the most scrutinized and misunderstood aspects of football, with holding calls sometimes being subjective. For Wright, the call was particularly disheartening considering the overall quality of his performance against Minnesota. Despite being flagged for a false start and then for the controversial hold, Wright otherwise turned in one of his best games in a Bears uniform.
Wright’s Strong Performance Overshadows the Call
Against a tough Vikings front, Wright allowed zero pressures, recording an 86.0 pass-blocking grade and a 76.5 run-blocking grade according to Pro Football Focus.
His overall grade of 77.9 not only made him the highest-grade offensive lineman for Chicago but the top-graded Bear on offense altogether.
The holding penalty may have stolen headlines, but Wright’s overall dominance should not be overlooked. His ability to anchor the right side of the offensive line played a major role in limiting Minnesota’s defensive impact.
If Darnell Wright plays like he did last night, he'll earn himself a nice pay day.
— Harrison Graham (@HGrahamNFL) September 9, 2025
For a player entering his third year, Wright’s continued growth is one of the biggest positives for Chicago’s offense. His development not only helps protect Caleb Williams in the short term but also establishes long-term stability at one of the most important positions on the field.
While Bears fans rightfully feel frustrated about the timing of the penalty, Wright’s effort against Minnesota is a clear sign that he is evolving into a franchise cornerstone the team envisioned he would be when they drafted him in the first round back in 2023.
Wright himself appears focused on controlling what he can. His measured response, acknowledging the official’s explanation while standing by his technique, shows maturity and professionalism. If anything, it may even fuel his motivation to keep improving.
For the Bears, that’s exactly the kind of attitude they want from a leader in the trenches.
As the season moves forward, one controversial flag won’t define Wright’s performance. Instead, his clean pass blocking, physical run game, and growth as a reliable right tackle will stand out as one of the bright spots for Chicago.
