ORCHARD PARK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 13: Jordan Berry #4 of the Pittsburgh Steelers holds the ball as Chris Boswell #9 kicks an extra point against the Buffalo Bills during the second quarter in the game at Bills Stadium on December 13, 2020 in Orchard Park, New York. (Photo by Bryan M. Bennett/Getty Images)
There is no doubt that the Pittsburgh Steelers have all their focus on the upcoming NFL Draft, which is being hosted by the city of Pittsburgh just over two weeks from now. However, once the draft concludes, the front office will need to decide which veteran players deserve an extension. One of those players is none other than All-Pro kicker Chris Boswell.
The 35-year-old is entering a contract year with the team after being unable to earn an extension last offseason. However, his future in Pittsburgh could very well be locked up by the time the calendar turns to May. According to insider Mark Kaboly, Boswell could be the first major Steelers star to earn an extension this offseason.
The Pittsburgh Steelers Need to Lock Up Chris Boswell Soon
Chris Boswell
GettyChris Boswell is entering his 13th NFL season.
Here is what Kaboly wrote on social media on Wednesday about the team’s reasoning for wanting to ink Kaboly to an extension this offseason:
“Boswell should be one of the easier deals that Khan and Cole Marcoux should draw up…He’s the sixth most-accurate kicker all-time, and those are guys that aren’t easily found. Considering it is pretty much a fixed number, Boswell very well could be the first one to get an extension.”
Kaboly also mentioned that since Boswell is making $5 million right now, a three-year, $19.5 million deal makes the most sense.
While the kicker doesn’t touch the ball as often as the quarterback, he does play a significant role in a different way. If he is not making kicks, the team is likely to come out on the losing end. Fortunately for the Steelers over the last decade, Boswell has been one of the league’s best. His 1,250 career points are second-most in franchise history behind Gary Anderson, and his 299 career made field goals are just 10 away from Anderson’s franchise record.
Steelers Won’t Find a Better Kicker
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Chris Boswell has missed just two extra points combined over the last four seasons.
As Kaboly noted, it is very hard to find great kickers nowadays. After setting a new career long in Week 1 of last season with a 60-yard game-winning kick against the New York Jets, Boswell still has plenty of power in the leg. He has seven career seasons with a field-goal percentage of at least 90%.
One minor note to think about in this process is that new Steelers head coach Mike McCarthy knows the kicking game very well. In Green Bay, McCarthy and Packers brass decided to draft longtime kicker Mason Crosby in the sixth round back in 2007. Crosby would go on to spend 16 seasons with the organization (2007-2022) and become it’s all-time leading scorer. So, McCarthy knows a thing or two about great kickers.
If Boswell ends up getting extended, the franchise and their fans will have their trustworthy kicker in the fold for years to come. Heading into a season that, based on the team’s aggressive free agency period, could be all about winning right now, having a steady kicker under contract could not be overvalued.