The Steelers signed fourth-year punter Jeremy Kapinostoday to fill a void at the position, the team announced. Financial terms of the one-year deal were not disclosed.
This marks the second consecutive year the Steelers have signed Kapinos (KAP-in-os) to their active roster. Last season, Kapinos was signed by the Steelers in early December and remained the team's punter for the final four regular-season games as well as the postseason, including Super Bowl XLV. He was released by the Steelers in the final cuts of the 2011 training camp and was not on an NFL roster this year.
Kapinos finished the 2010 season with a 41.1 yards-per-punt average for Pittsburgh, including a career-long 59-yarder in the season finale at Cleveland. For his career, he has averaged 42.6 yards per punt in 26 games played.
Prior to punting in one game in 2010 for the Indianapolis Colts, Kapinos spent the 2009 season with the Green Bay Packers and averaged 43.8 yards on 66 punts, including 15 punts placed inside the opponent's 20-yard line. He originally signed with Green Bay as a free agent on Dec. 3, 2008, and averaged 39.1 yards on 17 punts during the final four games of the season. He was not re-signed by Green Bay in 2010.
Kapinos originally signed as an undrafted rookie with the New York Jets in 2007 after receiving third-team All-America honors as a senior in 2006 at Penn State. He was released in training camp but re-signed with the Jets late in the season and played in the final game of the year at Tennessee. He averaged 41.6 yards on five punts against the Titans.
Kapinos will wear No. 13 for the Steelers.
To make room for Kapinos, the Steelers placed fifth-year punter Daniel Sepulveda on the team's Reserve/Injured List after injuring his right knee this past week in practice. This marks the third time he has been placed on the Reserve/Injured List with a knee injury.
