The New York Giants made an important roster addition on special teams ahead of their NFC East clash with the Washington Commanders.
In an unforeseen development, the Giants have signed veteran punter Cameron Johnston to their practice squad due to an undisclosed injury to Jamie Gillan. Dan Duggan of The Athletic was the first to report the news.
Giants Worked Out Five Punters Today
New York worked out six free agents today, including five punters, which was a topic of conversation among the Giants community.
After the list of tryouts was posted by Giants Nation Podcast host Bobby Skinner, New York Post reporter Ryan Dunleavy noticed how many punters were at the facility today.
He commented on X, “Five punter tryouts is interesting,” alluding that something was up with the Giants’ punting situation.
The list of punters included NFL veterans Cameron Johnston, Ryan Stonehouse, Brad Robbins, Pat O’Donnell, and Jake Camarda, while Big Blue also worked out defensive lineman Niko Lalos and cut defensive back Myles Purchase from the practice squad.
It is currently uncertain whether Gillan will be available for Sunday’s game, but in the event that he cannot play, the Giants have signed Cameron Johnston to their practice squad to fill the void.
According to Duggan, the workouts were conducted outdoors so the coaching staff could get a look at the punters in the conditions expected at MetLife Stadium. Workouts typically take place indoors, so this was a deviation from the norm.
Gillan Has Been Underperforming Expectations
Giants fans and analysts have expressed their frustrations with Jamie Gillan this season. Nicknamed the “Scottish Hammer,” Gillan has been under fire for his inconsistent play and his inopportunistic but all too common shanks.
According to Dan Schneier, who hosts the Big Blue Banter Giants podcast, Gillan has been tough to watch this season.
He posted on X, “Man it’s tough to watch Jamie Gillan week in and week out for the Giants. He can’t pin punts inside the 10 and has no power/tons of random shanks. The worst part is how bad his contract is. The Giants have to eat a ton of dead cap this offseason if they cut him and they should.
Underneath the post, a Giants fan responded, “He is my favorite. When we need a huge kick, he kicks it 35. When we need to pin them, he kicks it into the end zone. It’s like clock work. I don’t even need to watch to know how it will go.”
Gillan has been struggling to pin the other team inside the 20-yard line, rotating between shanking punts from inside his own territory to give opponents good field position or punting into the end zone for a touchback. Many Giants fans have seen enough of it, and there is hope that the new punter on the roster could do better.
Johnston has bounced around the league, punting in 99 regular-season games for the Eagles, Texans, Steelers, and Bills. Most recently, he punted in a game for Pittsburgh in 2024 and in three games for Buffalo earlier this season.
Johnston has a career average of 47.2 yards per punt, with a net punting average of 42.2 yards, and most notably, 40.7% of his punts were downed inside the opponents’ 20-yard line. This is in stark contrast to Gillan’s recent performances.
With the Giants having been ill-prepared when kicker Graham Gano suffered injuries in the past, it appears that New York is learning from their mistakes. If Gillan is unable to punt on Sunday, the Giants will have an option, perhaps a better option, ready to flip the field against Washington.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Giants Sign Punter to Practice Squad Amid Jamie Gillan Injury appeared first on Heavy Sports.