HEADLINES

Cameron Johnston

Minor NFL Transactions: 9/10/24

September 10th, 2024 at 4:19pm CST by Sam Robinson

Here are Tuesday’s minor moves:

Atlanta Falcons

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

New York Giants

Pittsburgh Steelers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Free Agent

Not long after being a 49ers cut as the NFC champions pared set their initial 53-man roster, Parker secured another opportunity. The 49ers carried Parker on their roster this offseason and brought him back shortly after releasing him. A 33-game starter with the Raiders, Parker joins a Falcons roster housing Storm Norton as the swingman behind Jake Matthews and Kaleb McGary.

Isaac went to camp with the Bucs but caught on with the Panthers, via their barrage of waiver claims, after being waived. The Panthers waived Isaac before their Week 1 game. Isaac initially signed with the Bucs as a 2023 UDFA and played in two games last season.

Hatten incurred a five-game suspension today. A Seahawks UDFA this year, Hatten did not make the team’s 53-man roster. At the same time, the NFL lifted the suspensions of the other three free agents, Jackson, Muhammad, and Thomas.

Steelers P Cameron Johnston Suffers Season-Ending Knee Injury

September 9th, 2024 at 10:54am CST by Ely Allen

SEPTEMBER 9: Johnston is indeed out for the year, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports. The Steelers will spend the coming days searching out replacement options for the remainder of the campaign as a result. Pittsburgh currently has roughly $16.3MM in cap space.

SEPTEMBER 8: After three years with punter Pressley Harvin III, the Steelers made the decision to move on with a new punter in 2024, signing former Texans leg Cameron Johnston. Unfortunately, it looks like they will be forced to find another solution to their punting game as Johnston has suffered what head coach Mike Tomlin called a “serious injury,” per ESPN’s Brooke Pryor.

On a punt in the fourth quarter of today’s win over the Falcons, Johnston’s kicking leg was hurt when a Falcons defender fell into it after Johnston landed following the kick. When the defender made contact, the knee appeared to pop, and Johnston collapsed to the turf in what looked to be a significant amount of pain. Johnston limped off the field after the trainers took a look, inspiring some hope, but he was later carted off the sideline into the locker room before the end of the contest.

Needing one more punt before the game came to a close, the Steelers turned to kicker Chris Boswell, who delivered a 43-yard punt. The responsibility isn’t a completely unfamiliar one to Boswell, who kicked field goals and punts during his time at Rice in college. He punted 15 times for the Owls with an average of 40.3 yards per punt. It doesn’t seem to be sustainable to rely on Boswell to perform both roles on special teams moving forward, though, so expect Pittsburgh to seek another solution while Johnston is out.

One such solution, though perhaps an unpopular one in Pittsburgh, could be to bring Harvin back. After being released by the Steelers, Harvin signed with the 49ers but was waived before the season began. Now, Harvin would be available to return for another stint, if invited. Over the past two seasons, Harvin averaged 43.83 yards per punt, placing the Steelers at 32nd in the league in that statistic, but with today’s injury, Pittsburgh may not have much of a choice. Johnston will undergo an MRI soon to determine his prognosis and the Steelers course of action.

Minor NFL Transactions: 3/12/24

March 12th, 2024 at 9:31pm CST by Ben Levine

Today’s minor moves:

Carolina Panthers

Cleveland Browns

Dallas Cowboys

Denver Broncos

Detroit Lions

Green Bay Packers

Houston Texans

Kansas City Chiefs

Minnesota Vikings

New England Patriots

Philadelphia Eagles

Pittsburgh Steelers

Seattle Seahawks

Tennessee Titans

Washington Commanders

Texans Activate T Tytus Howard, P Cameron Johnston

October 7th, 2023 at 2:00pm CST by Ely Allen

After designating the two players to return from injured reserve this week, the Texans have announced that they have officially activated offensive tackle Tytus Howard and punter Cameron Johnston from IR. After starting the regular season on the injured list, both players are reportedly ready to make their 2023 debut.

Howard missed the first four games of the season due to a training camp hand injury that required surgery to fix breaks in two places. He’s been a full-time starter for Houston since getting drafted in the first round in 2019, missing games here and there due to various injuries. To date, he’s started in 54 of a possible 70 games. He’ll look to step in for George Fant across from Laremy Tunsil this week.

Johnston likewise has missed time due to a preseason injury after pulling a calf muscle in late-August. Ty Zentner, an undrafted rookie out of Kansas State, had been fulfilling the punting duties in Johnston’s absence before being waived early in the week.

Additionally, the Texans announced that they have released defensive tackle Taylor Stallworth from their practice squad. The move was necessary after the team released defensive end Derek Rivers from the active roster yesterday and signed him to the practice squad.

Finally, with this weekend’s contest in Atlanta coming up, the team announced that they will be calling up cornerback D’Angelo Ross and linebacker Garret Wallow as standard gameday elevations from the practice squad for tomorrow. Ross will be seeing his first action since making an appearance in the 2021-22 playoffs for the Patriots. This will also be Wallow’s first game of the season, as well, after starting five games over his first two years in the league.

Texans Designate Cameron Johnston For Return; Tytus Howard Moving Toward Debut

October 2nd, 2023 at 2:27pm CST by Sam Robinson

Texans punter normalcy looks likely to return this week. On IR for the season’s first four games, Cameron Johnston is on track to come back for Week 5.

Houston waived its replacement punter, Ty Zentner, on Monday, KPRC2’s Aaron Wilson reports. With no punters on the active roster or practice squad as a result of this transaction, the Texans are also designating Johnston to return from IR. Johnston’s return to practice will start his 21-day activation clock, but Monday’s other Houston punter transaction points to a quick ramp-up period coming.

A calf injury has sidelined Johnston, who has been the Texans’ primary punter since 2021. The ex-Eagles specialist is tied to a three-year, $8MM deal. This will be Johnston’s sixth year as an NFL punter. The 31-year-old Australian had never missed a game during his career prior to this calf injury.

Johnston averaged 48.1 yards per punt last season. A Kansas State alum, Zentner sits at 42.1 through four games. The Texans signed Zentner as Johnston insurance in late August. The rookie UDFA, who also came to Houston after a Philadelphia stint, will become a free agent if he goes unclaimed.

Houston will be preparing to use some of its eight allotted IR activations early. Right tackle Tytus Howard is on track to be activated from IR this week, Wilson adds. Howard broke his hand in two places and underwent surgery in August. The Texans have played without four starting O-linemen at points this season, with Laremy Tunsil missing extensive time as well. The NFL’s O-line salary kingpin has a chance to return this week, per Wilson.

The Texans, who placed 2022 first-round guard Kenyon Green on season-ending IR in August, have both Howard and second-round pick Juice Scruggs on short-term IR. The team’s projected center starter, Scruggs is out with a hamstring injury. He is tracking toward returning by Week 6, however. But the Texans could soon have both their tackles back to project promising rookie C.J. Stroud.

Texans Place C Juice Scruggs, P Cameron Johnston On IR

August 31st, 2023 at 12:01pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Texans are now guaranteed to start the season without two starting offensive linemen. After suffering a hamstring strain in the preseason, second-round rookie Juice Scruggs landed on IR.

In place as Houston’s starting center, Scruggs will now miss at least four games. He joins Kenyon Green in being moved off the active roster due to injury. Green, the first guard chosen in 2022, is on season-ending IR due to multiple injuries. The Texans also placed punter Cameron Johnston on IR on Thursday. Like Scruggs, Johnston will be shut down for at least a month.

A calf injury will send Johnston to IR. The Texans signed punter Ty Zentner as an insurance option last week. These moves will allow the team to re-sign linebacker Cory Littleton and running back Mike Boone. Zentner resides on Houston’s practice squad, but this Johnston news could soon lead to a promotion. The Eagles signed Zentner as a UDFA in May but waived him earlier this month.

A Scruggs IR stint emerged as a possibility earlier this week, as matters have worsened for Houston’s O-line. The team is not certain to have right tackle Tytus Howard in the lineup. A hand injury has sidelined the recently extended blocker for weeks. Scott Quessenberry, who re-signed after serving as the Texans’ starting center for most of last season, sustained a season-ending injury weeks ago. Houston has since traded for Josh Jones and Kendrick Green, with recent free agency addition George Fant in place as Howard’s RT backup.

Laremy Tunsil and Shaq Mason are the only locks among Houston’s first-team O-linemen to be in uniform in Week 1 against the Ravens. For additional depth purposes, the Texans also brought back interior O-lineman Michael Deiter — a March signee who did not make the team — on a practice squad deal and added recent Bears O-line castoff Dieter Eiselen to their taxi squad.

Johnston has been with the Texans for the past two seasons, coming over after the Eagles waived him. The veteran punter is going into the final season of a three-year, $8MM deal. Philadelphia’s punter from 2018-20, Johnston had previously never missed a game as a pro.

Contract Details: Watt, Rams, Texans

September 8th, 2022 at 9:49pm CST by Ben Levine

With teams preparing their cap sheets for the start of the NFL season, we’ve seen a number of front offices rework some contracts. We’ve compiled some of the recent contract maneuverings (as well as some details on recent signings and extension) below:

  • T.J. Watt, LB (Steelers): restructured contract yesterday, per NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport (on Twitter). The move opened $6.75MM in space for Pittsburgh. Watt inked a four-year deal worth up to $112MM (including $80MM guaranteed) last September.
  • Rob Havenstein, OT (Rams): three-year extension. The deal is worth $34.5MM, according to Rapoport (on Twitter). The extension includes $24.1MM guaranteed and offers $6MM in incentives.
  • Tyler Higbee, TE (Rams): restructured contract earlier this week, according to ESPN’s Field Yates (on Twitter). The team converted $4.75MM of Higbee’s base salary into a signing bonus, creating $3.8MM in space.
  • Jalen Thompson, S (Cardinals): three-year extension. The $40MM deal includes $24.5MM in guaranteed money and a $10MM signing bonus, according to Aaron Wilson of ProFootballNetwork.com (on Twitter).
  • Lane Johnson, OT and Jake Elliott, K (Eagles): restructured contracts today, according to Yates (on Twitter). The Eagles converted $5.88MM of Johnson’s base salary and $2.715MM of Elliot’s base salary into signing bonuses, creating about $6.9MM in cap space.
  • O.J. Howard, TE (Texans): one-year deal. The contract is worth $1.035MM, according to Wilson (on Twitter). The tight end will receive $910K in offset from the $1.945MM guaranteed base salary he got from his previous deal with the Bills. When coupled with the $1.25MM signing bonus he got from Buffalo, Howard will earn a total of $3.25MM this year.
  • Eric Murray, S (Texans): restructured contract yesterday, per Yates (on Twitter). Specifically, the team converted $1.465MM of his contract into a signing bonus, opening $732.5K in cap space.
  • Ka’imi Fairbairn, K and Cameron Johnston, P (Texans): restructured contracts earlier this week, per Wilson (on Twitter). The two moves saved the Texans $2.1MM in cap savings.

Texans To Sign P Cam Johnston

March 19th, 2021 at 9:08am CST by Zachary Links

The Texans have signed former Eagles punter Cameron Johnston, as Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle tweets. Johnson’s three-year deal is worth $8MM in total and includes a $1MM signing bonus. 

[RELATED: Texans Sign WRs Donte Moncrief, Alex Erickson]

The Eagles opted against giving Johnston a restricted free agent tender this offseason, putting him on the open market this week. The first right of refusal tender would have cost just $2.133MM for the 2021 season. His new Texans deal tops that by a healthy margin on an average annual basis.

Johnston will replace fellow veteran Bryan Anger, who was released by the Texans on Thursday. He’ll look to rebound from a rough year — in 2020, he posted a career-low 41.2 net-yard average. The Eagles could now turn to future/reserve signee Arryn Siposs as his replacement.

Eagles Won’t Tender P Cameron Johnston

March 4th, 2021 at 4:27pm CST by Andrew Ortenberg

We’re going to see a lot of tough decisions being made over the next week, and the Eagles in particular have their hands tied due to a terrible cap situation. Because of their cap issues, Philly isn’t tendering restricted free agent punter Cameron Johnston, a source told Ian Rapoport of NFL Network (Twitter link). It’s a busy day for punters, as this news comes on the heels of the Saints releasing Thomas Morstead.

Johnston will now become an unrestricted free agent that’s free to sign anywhere without the Eagles having the chance to match an offer sheet. Rapoport says that Johnston “should have an active market.” A native of Australia, Johnston came to the United States to go to school at Ohio State after failing to make it as an Aussie Football player.

After getting cut in 2017 he made the roster in 2018, and has been the Eagles’ punter in each of the past three seasons. This move doesn’t mean that Philadelphia won’t still end up bringing him back for 2021, Eliot Shorr-Parks of 94WIP.com tweets.

The Eagles can get their cap space under control and then re-sign Johnston, although now they’ll have to bid against an open market. Johnston has been very solid but not spectacular, so it’s not like he’s going to land an eye-popping deal in a tight free agent market.

RFA/ERFA Tender Decisions: 3/12/20

March 12th, 2020 at 8:12pm CST by Dallas Robinson

Today’s restricted free agent and exclusive rights free agent tender decisions will be posted below:

RFAs

Tendered:

ERFAs

Tendered:

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