Just two days after losing kicker Shaun Suisham for the season to a knee injury, the Pittsburgh Steelers have settled on a replacement, signing veteran free agent Garrett Hartley, according to his agent, Erik Burkhart.
Congrats to @GHartley5 on signing with the @steelers ! He has continued to work hard at his craft and is ready for a big season.
— Erik Burkhardt (@ErikBurkhardt) August 11, 2015
Hartley, 29, made two appearances with the Cleveland Browns in 2014, making all three field goals and both extra points he attempted in the Browns final two games of the season. He had been signed to replaced Billy Cundiff, who was lost for the season with an injury.
Before his stint with the Browns, Hartley spent six seasons with the New Orleans Saints. Hartley started off his career with the Saints well, making all 13 field goal attempts as a rookie in 2008, but his career took a tumble in 2009, when he was suspended four games for violating the NFL’s substance abuse policy.
In five regular season games in 2009, he went 9-of-11, but did not make a field goal longer than 40 yards. He went 5-for-5 in the Saints’ 2009 playoff run, which ended with a victory in Super Bowl 44, where he went 3-for-3, all of which were over 40 yards.
In 2010, he was back to being the Saints’ full-time kicker, but struggled with consistency, hitting just 20-of-25 kicks, including two misses from less than 30 yards.
Hartley missed the entire 2011 season due to a hip injury. In 2012, he regained his starting job, but again was inconsistent, hitting just 81.8% of his kicks.
In 2013, his struggles continued as he had his worst season a pro, going just 22-for-33 (73.3%). He lost his starting job and was released by the Saints on December 17, 2013.
Hartley is a native of Keller, Texas, and played collegiately at the University of Oklahoma.
Edit 3:31 p.m.: The Steelers have waived/injured QB/WR Devin Gardner to make room for Hartley on the roster. Interestingly, Suisham remains on the active roster for now, which could open the door for him to return at some point this season.
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