Pittsburgh’s special-teams plan took a hit when long snapper Christian Kuntz suffered a broken sternum in the penultimate preseason game against Tampa Bay, forcing him out for weeks to months. The Steelers quickly began testing replacements, with Logan Lee serving as the emergency snapper for the remainder of the TB tilt. The injury compounds the team’s ongoing preseason questions and could ripple through punt, field-goal, and overall special-teams efficiency in the early season.
Meanwhile, Nick Herbig left the same game with a hamstring tweak—described by Mike Tomlin as precautionary and not serious—and was later deemed fine. Pittsburgh used the game as a showcase for rookies and pass-catchers, adding intrigue to late preseason decisions. The club’s rapid roster-testing at long snapper underscores the depth concerns and the fantasy implications tied to special-teams reliability.
With Kuntz sidelined, Pittsburgh stepped up its search for snaps specialists, while TB represented a meaningful preseason opponent to gauge adjustments and potential early-season impact. Fantasy players should monitor snap credibility, punt-team consistency, and any roster moves that could influence the Steelers’ special-teams unit in the opening weeks.
