Pittsburgh Steelers sign P Cameron Johnston

Cameron Johnston's one-year, $1.3M signing earns a C Contract Value Index (CVI), reflecting a depth acquisition at fair-market terms for a positional specialist with limited upside. At the punter position, Johnston occupies a solid-starter tier — reliable leg talent without elite consistency or directional dominance that would justify premium dollars. The $1.3M AAV sits squarely in the replacement-to-solid-starter range for the position; it's neither an overpay nor a bargain, but rather what the market bears for a veteran placeholder in a one-year deal. For a Steelers squad sitting at 10-7 in playoff position, this is a pragmatic offseason move — cap-efficient, low-risk, and devoid of long-term commitment, which is exactly what you want from special-teams depth. The C grade reflects that this transaction is functionally neutral to the organization: Johnston provides adequate coverage without structural advantage, and the modest salary carries no dead-cap landmine if the team decides to pivot mid-season. In an offseason where every dollar matters, this is the kind of unspectacular-but-sensible signing that keeps a roster competitive without overstretching resources.