There many happy faces in the Pittsburgh Steelers organization, but one in particular is Danny Smith. Through the gigantic wad of gum I can see a gigantic smile on the eleven year special teams coordinator of the Black and Gold. The Steelers already have one of the most reliable kickers in the NFL in Chris Boswell but they have struggled punting along with the kick return game. Last season’s primary kick returner Godwin Igwebuike along with starting punter Pressley Harvin III are currently not on the Steelers roster, but reinforcements have been brought in. Let’s take a look at the “Special Teams Big 3”.

Chris Boswell – Kicker

Chris Boswell was selected to the Pro Bowl in 2017 and has been the one of the most consistent players on the entire Steelers roster. During that 2017 season, Boswell almost single handedly won the Steelers playoff game against the Kansas City Chiefs kicking an NFL post season record nine field goals, winning the game 18 – 16. In 2023, the Wizard of Boz had a Field Goal % of 93.5 (Tied for 11th) and a long of 57 yards (Tied for 7th). For his career Boswell has a field goal % of 87.2 with a long of 59 yards. During his career he has twice been named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Month and twice named the AFC Special Teams Player of the Week.

Cameron Johnston – Punter

Acquired through free agency, Cameron Johnston looks to be the Steelers starting punter for the 2024 season. Johnston comes to Pittsburgh with a solid reputation and will walk into the building as the best punter the Steelers have ever had on their roster. Consistency is something the Steelers lacked in previous seasons but that is one of Johnston’s strength. Johnston has a career yards per punt of 47.3 and a net punting average of 42.2. In the 2023 season he had a 43.7 yard net punting average which was tied for fifth in the NFL. Johnston also places 45.5% of his punts inside the 20 compared to 38.5% from Pressley Harvin III. Flipping the field is a major component in playing the field position game and Johnston is one of the best.

Cordarrelle Patterson – Kick Returner

The Steelers also went to free agency to get a boost in their kick return game by adding one of the best kick returners in NFL history in Cordarrelle Patterson. I don’t think it was a coincidence the Steelers signed Patterson the same day the league approved its new kickoff format. With the NFL aiming to make kick returns more prevalent in the game again, it is vital to have a high quality kick returner. Patterson is a four-time All-Pro and four-time Pro Bowler while having an NFL record nine career kick returns for touchdowns. Pittsburgh’s last kick return for a touchdown was by former Steeler Juju Smith-Shuster in the 2017 season against the Cleveland Browns. The Steelers haven’t been the best in the return game as their longest kickoff return last season was only 37 yards with an average return of 23.5 yards. Cordarrelle Patterson has a career average of 29.3 yards per return which ranks third all time.

The Pittsburgh Steelers made it a point to improve their special teams units and I believe they made major strides in doing so. Each unit of special teams is able to compliment the other to make the overall team better. I’m excited to see what this special teams unit can be this season, I believe it has a chance to be… special!

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