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The Steelers made their first internal free agent signing of the season, locking up punter Brad Wing on a one-year deal, the team announced Friday.
Wing has a chance to be a rare Steelers punter who lasts more than one season. Wing had 61 punts this season with an average of 43.7 yards. The team pointed out in its press release Wing had the fifth-highest rookie punting average in team history. He also had 20 punts land inside the 20-yard line.
Mat McBriar and Zoltan Mesko were the team's punters in 2013, combining to make one of the worst punters in the NFL. Drew Butler and Jason Kapinos followed before them in 2012 and 2011, respectively, and Dan Sepulveda punted in the 2010 season until he landed on injured reserve, replaced by Kapinos. Sepulveda was the guy in 2009, one year after having been on injured reserve and replaced by Mitch Berger, who was the team's punter in the Super Bowl. Berger replaced Paul Ernster in the middle of that season because Ernster was Meskonian in his punting abilities.