Braden Mann‘s rookie contract remains active. The Steelers will add the former Jets punter via a Friday waiver claim, according to ESPN.com’s Field Yates (on Twitter).
One season remains on Mann’s contract. After the Jets dangled Mann in trades, they decided to waive him. They are going with veteran Thomas Morstead this year. The Steelers will step in to provide Mann an opportunity.
A sixth-round pick in 2020, Mann will join a Steelers roster featuring Pressley Harvin as the incumbent punter. The Steelers selected Harvin in the 2021 seventh round and have used the Georgia Tech product as their punter in 32 of their 34 games over the past two seasons.
Harvin ranked 28th in yards per punt last season; Mann checked in at 17th. While Morstead outperformed Mann in terms of punts inside the 20-yard line in 2022, Harvin did not. The former ACC specialist placed just 29% of his punts inside the 20; Mann finished with a 32.5% mark in that area. While field position and gunner success factor into this as well, Harvin’s mark ranked 29th in this category last season. The Steelers will understandably bring in some competition.
Mann won the Ray Guy award, given to the top Division I-FBS punter, as a junior in 2018 and earned All-American acclaim in 2019 as well. Mann missed seven games due to injury in 2021, but last season’s 46.9-yard average marked his best as a pro. The Steelers are picking up Mann’s $1MM base salary, but nothing is guaranteed. If Mann were to lose out to Harvin for the job, the Steelers can move on virtually free of charge.
Finally. Harvin was hysterically bad. Thank god they finally will cut that loss
Hoped they might do this.
Last term New England scored a punt return TD off a Mann punt with :05 left. The Patriots play the Steelers again this fall. More karma?