Steelers claim former Jets punter off waivers

Braden Mann‘s rookie contract remains active. The Steelers will add the former Jets punter to their roster 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. Veteran Thomas Morstead will handle punting duties in New York this year. The Steelers, meanwhile, will step in to provide Mann an opportunity.

A sixth-round pick in 2020, Mann joins a Steelers roster featuring Pressley Harvin as the incumbent punter. The Steelers selected Harvin in the seventh round of the 2021 draft and have used the Georgia Tech product as their punter in 32-of-34 games over the past two seasons.

Harvin ranked 28th in yards per punt last season while 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 percent of his punts inside the 20; Mann finished with a 32.5 percent 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. All of this makes the Steelers bringing in some competition very understandable. 

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 $1M base salary, though there are no guarantees attached. If Mann were to lose out to Harvin for the job upcoming, the Steelers can move on virtually free of charge.