The Pittsburgh Steelers punting situation has cleared up over the past two weeks. After a rough season opener for Pressley Harvin III, he has bounced back in a big way over the past two games. He was able to beat out Braden Mann for the starting job this summer, but after one game, everyone had their doubts creep back in. The 2021 seventh-rounder had multiple shanks in that San Francisco 49ers loss.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (@JSKO_PHOTO Twitter / x)
Steelers 2021 seventh-rounder Pressley Harvin III has been one of the best punters in the NFL in the first three weeks of the 2023 season.
Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin even directly called out Harvin after that blowout, as it costed the team field position on several occasions. In Tomlin's weekly press conference on Tuesday, he pointed out that the punter is dealing with a hamstring injury. As always, availability in practice will dictate the direction of his status for Sunday's Week 4 contest. According to Tom Pelissero of NFL Network, the Steelers have signed Brad Wing to its practice squad.
Blast from the past: The #Steelers are signing punter Brad Wing to the practice squad.
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) September 27, 2023
As of now, it seems like Harvin will still play. On the flip side, hamstring injuries aren't something to take lightly. We've seen that with wide receiver Diontae Johnson, who will presumably be out through the bye week with a hamstring issue. The star wideout suffered the injury in Week 1 against the 49ers and has been out ever since. Hamstring injuries tend to linger, and they are the most susceptible to pop back up, even after it heals.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers wide receiver, Diontae Johnson (#18) makes a catch at 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
With that, the signing of Wing is just for precautionary reasons (for now). He hasn't been in the league since 2017, which was the last of his three seasons for the New York Giants. Wing's lone season in Pittsburgh took place in 2014, but the Steelers opted to move onto Jordan Berry in 2015. Speaking of, it's interesting that the Steelers didn't bring in a more recent name like Berry.
Should Steelers Play It Safe And Sit Harvin In Week 4?
Berry most recently punted in the NFL in 2021, as he spent six seasons in Pittsburgh before that. In case anyone was wondering, the Steelers aren't able to bring back Braden Mann. Recently, the Philadelphia Eagles finally signed him, and he is now their guy. In his team debut on Monday Night Football in Week 4, Mann punted it just once, which landed inside the 20-yard line.
While it may not seem like a big deal, losing Harvin for Sunday's game against the Houston Texans would be crucial. His eight punts inside the 20-yard line rank second in the NFL through three games. Despite a few shanks in Week 1, Harvin is still averaging 47.2 yards per punt across 19 attempts. Unfortunately, those 19 attempts are the most in the NFL so far, further proof of the offense's slow start.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / x: @JSKO_PHOTO)
If Steelers punter Pressley Harvin III were to miss any time with his hamstring injury, it would also cause some concern in the kicking game as he's the primary holder.
While Wing played four seasons in the NFL, it's hard to trust a guy that hasn't played in the league in six years. The team did work him out after Week 1, presumably because of Harvin's initial struggles. While the severity of Harvin's hamstring injury is still relatively unknown, it's important to remember that the Steelers do have a bye week coming up. Following the upcoming matchup against the Texans, the Steelers face the Baltimore Ravens at home and then have their Week 6 bye after that.
What are your thoughts on the Steelers' possible replacement punter being one that hasn't been in the NFL in six years? Do you trust that Harvin will keep up this recent hot streak? Should the Steelers sit him and let him heal through the bye week? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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