Steelers starter pushes back against talk that he was handed a roster spot, 'That pisses me off'

Unless you're a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, you probably are unfamiliar with Christian Kuntz.

The starting long snapper for the Steelers, his role may seem trivial, but it is one of the most important on the team. Good snaps equal good field positioning and points on field goals.

And for Kuntz, one would think playing for his hometown team and living out his dream would garner praise.

Unfortunately, Kuntz receives the exact opposite.

Kuntz criticized for being a Pittsburgh Steeler

"People are out there still saying, 'He's from Pittsburgh, and he's good with the fans and the media. That's why he has a job, they love him in there? That pisses me off," Kuntz told the Athletic Aesthetic . "Imagine getting that said. People say that shit, 'Oh he's from Pittsburgh, he's getting this as a favor. You think the NFL, you think Mr. Rooney, you think Mike Tomlin, you think [special teams coordinator] Danny Smith are putting everything on the line to hire a kid from Pittsburgh to do a job? They don't give a shit. They don't give a shit where you're from. If I'm not doing my job, I wouldn't be there."

Kuntz first joined the team in 2020 and has been the starting long snapper since 2021. A thankless job that only receives the spotlight when something goes wrong, the reason that you never really hear from Kuntz, or at least on Sundays, is because he's so good in his role.

There are only 32 long snappers in the world, and there is likely no position easier to replace on an NFL roster. Teams aren't drafting or signing long snappers in free agency. Instead, they usually take college-free agents and convert them from TE or LB to long snapper.

So does it help that Kuntz is a pillar in the community, makes great content for the team, and is a Pittsburgh lifer given he was born and raised in the city and played his college ball at Duquesne?

I'm sure it does.

But to discredit anyone for making or sticking on a roster because they're a hometown kid is rubbish. This is the NFL, a business at the end of the day. And sure Pittsburgh plays into the brother relationships and hometown kids with UDFAs , but if you can't do your job, none of it matters.

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