When it comes to most punters and kickers, the men who fill these inherently interchangeable jobs in the NFL fall into a collection of vaguely recognizable names. And it’s often hard to remember when or if a player has exited the blender of signings, tryouts, terminations, lather, rinse, repeat.
That’s why it likely didn’t register for many that the recent addition of Brad Wing to the Steelers’ practice squad carries some significance. As noted by John Breech of CBSSports.com, Wing last played in an NFL game in December 2017.
A native of Australia, Wing entered the league in 2013 as an undrafted free agent from LSU. He competed with Donnie Jones in training camp with the Eagles. The next year, he landed with the Steelers — and won the job.
In September 2015, the Steelers traded Wing to the Giants for a seventh-round pick. He punted for the Giants through 2017.
Released by the Giants in early 2018, Wing found no takers elsewhere. In 2019, he punted in the short-lived AAF. He was completely out of football in 2020, 2021, and 2022.
Then came 2023. He landed with the San Antonio Brahmas of the XFL. His performance didn’t result in an immediate opportunity in the NFL. Instead, out of nowhere, the Steelers brought him back as insurance against the possibility that punter Pressley Harvin’s hamstring injury will keep him from playing.
And we might see Wing on Sunday in Houston, exactly 2,100 days after he last played in an NFL regular-season game.