Special teams will look the same for the Steelers in 2021.
That's because the team announced they signed punter Jordan Berry to a one-year deal on Monday. Berry was a free agent after playing six seasons with the Steelers. His 45.8 yards per punt average in 2020 was the highest of his career.
The Steelers also are signing former Bears guard Rashaad Coward, who was a restricted free agent who was not tendered an offer by Chicago.
Berry will enter his seventh season with the Steelers with 385 punts with a career average of 44.4 yards per punt. The only time his punt has been blocked was in 2016.
Kevin Colbert bringing back Berry is another small move to fill in the holes on the roster. After Tyson Alualu's announced return on a two-year deal, Berry counts as the tenth player who was on the roster in 2020 to be brought back for the 2021 season.
Dale Lolley speculated in his 10 Thoughts article Sunday on how that number could still grow if the team chooses to bring back James Conner. The fifth-year running back hasn't been signed yet in free agency, keeping the door open for a return to the team. That also applies to other unsigned free agents like Alejandro Villanueva, Avery Williamson, and maybe even the recently released Vince Williams.
The Steelers still operate with limited salary cap space, as they had $9.4M prior to Alualu agreeing to return to the team. Between Alualu and Berry, the Steelers' salary cap space should decrease to somewhere between $6M-$7M. But there are still options on the table to create more spending room with contract restructures for Stephon Tuitt and Chris Boswell and short-term extensions to players like Joe Haden or David DeCastro.
Keeping Berry is a move to keep stability for Danny Smith and the Steelers' special team units. While he's never been a Pro Bowl punter, he's been adequate enough to be kept around on team-friendly contracts to get the job done.
Coward, 26, has started 15 games the past two seasons for the Bears. A former college defensive tackle, he shifted over to offensive line and has appeared in 30 career games.
Former #Bears OL Rashaad Coward, an RFA who was not tendered, is expected to sign with the #Steelers, source said. A former DL who worked his way into the starting lineup on offense, Coward now lands in Pittsburgh.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) March 29, 2021
Coward, who played collegiately at Old Dominion, is the second outside offensive lineman signed by the Steelers this offseason. Last week, they added former Colts and Buccaneers tackle Joe Haeg.