Big Blue View
With punter Jamie Gillan apparently suffering from an undisclosed injury, the New York Giants are reportedly adding veteran punter Cameron Johnston to their practice squad.
The news was reported by Dan Duggan of the Athletic.
The Giants held a workout on Tuesday that included five punters and one-time Giants defensive end Niko Lalos.
The punters were Johnston, Jake Camarda, Pat O’Donnell, Brad Robbins, and Ryan Stonehouse.
Duggan said the workout was held outdoors to get a look at the kickers in the swirling winds and cold weather, since MetLife Stadium is an outdoor facility. The Giants host the Washington Commanders there on Sunday.
Johnson has kicked in 99 regular-season games for the Philadelphia Eagles, Houston Texans, Pittsburgh Steelers, and Buffalo Bills. The 33-year-old kicked in three games for the Buffalo Bills this season and one for the Steelers in 2024.
Johnston has a career average of 47.2 yards per punt, with a net of 42.2 yards, and 40.7% of his punts downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line.
Gillan, who also handled kickoff duties for the Giants for a few weeks, has averaged 44.5 yards per punt this season.
For the past three seasons, the Giants have been burned a number of times by not being adequately prepared for injuries to placekicker Graham Gano. It appears they are trying to take a step to avoid being caught flat-footed if Gillan is unable to punt on Sunday.
The Giants released cornerback Myles Purchase from the practice squad to clear a spot for Johnston.
