Pittsburgh punter Cameron Johnston sustained a serious right knee injury in Sunday’s 18-10 season-opening victory over the host Atlanta Falcons, Steelers coach Mike Tomlin said after the game.
Johnston, who will have an MRI on Monday to determine the severity of his injury, was hurt with 3:40 left in the fourth quarter when he was run into by a Falcons defender. A holding penalty on Pittsburgh led to a new fourth down, with kicker Chris Boswell stepping in and booting a 43-yard punt.
“Cam Johnston appears to have a serious injury. I’ll have an update for you next time we come together,” Tomlin said at a postgame press conference. “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.”
In the season opener, Johnston punted twice for 103 yards, a 51.5-yard average, including one inside the 20.
A native of Australia, Johnston, 32, played 95 games for the Philadelphia Eagles (2018-20) and Houston Texans (2021-23) before signing a three-year, $9 million contract with the Steelers. He totaled 445 punts and averaged 47.3 yards, placing 182 inside the 20.
He led the NFL with 88 punts for 4,108 yards (a 46.7 average) in 2021 while with the Texans.