Chris Boswell doesn’t hold all the Pittsburgh Steelers’ records yet. One day, he will. Even before then, he holds the title as the greatest kicker in franchise history.
There are others in the conversation for the title. Roy Gerela played for three of Pittsburgh’s four Lombardi-winning teams of the 70s dynasty. Gary Anderson has held the title for decades, thanks to his 13 seasons and nearly 200 games with the franchise.
Boswell, though, is No. 1. Maybe that’s not a shock. Or all that interesting. Boswell’s success in Pittsburgh isn’t up for debate. Still, it’s rare to confidently say “we are watching the greatest in franchise history” about any player in real time. Often, those come in hindsight after the story has been written.
It’s a golden era of kickers. One that will keep on shining unless and until NFL rules intervene to make field goals more difficult. Judging eras is always difficult, especially for specialists. Plop Gerela or Anderson into today’s game, and their field goal percentages skyrocket. Likewise, put Boswell in the 70s when kicking was barely respected, and his production would plummet.
Even in that context, Boswell is number one. He doesn’t have the NFL’s biggest leg, but in a world where hitting from distance is common, no one does it better than Boswell. His 52 makes from 50-plus yards since entering the league are only second to Matt Prater’s 58. Since 2021, Boswell’s 43 such field goals dwarf anyone else. He’s the only one in the 40s.
Boswell does much of his kicking in Pittsburgh. Cold, wind, snow, often all three. It’s one of the hardest places to kick. Even though it’s more forgiving than two decades ago, Boswell is better than his peers. Since 2020, Boswell has made a remarkable 90.5 percent of his kicks at Heinz Field/Acrisure Stadium. His opponents? Under 84 percent.
From 40-plus yards, Boswell leads the opposition 83.9 percent to 76.5 percent. From 50-plus, Boswell dominates: 83.3 percent versus 68.4 percent.
It’s a level of consistent success others simply can’t match. Big-legged kickers are easy to find. Short-term success is common. Prolonged success remains elusive to most.
His 2024 season was an all-timer. Frustrating as it was for Pittsburgh to keep settling for field goals, Boswell made sure points went on the board. His 41 makes came dangerously close to tying David Akers’ all-time record of 44. Boswell became the first Steeler to ever lead the league in scoring and earned the first 1st team All-Pro nod by a Pittsburgh kicker.
He makes clutch kicks. Sometimes, he’s the sole source of offense. Playoffs included since 2015, four times Pittsburgh has registered zero touchdowns but at least five field goals. The Steelers won all three thanks to Boswell making six field goals in each of them. Over that same span, no other team has won more than a single game that way.
Boswell will hold all the relevant records soon enough. He’s 11 field goals away from surpassing Anderson for most by a Steeler. He’s 94 points away from breaking the all-time scoring record, also held by Anderson. Fresh off his deserved contract extension, Boswell will rewrite the record books that might not be touched for decades.
In the muck that was Shaun Suisham’s freak Hall of Fame Game knee injury that ended his career, followed by the disaster that became the Josh Scobee trade, the Steelers found Boswell. Incredible fortune of usually dire circumstances – Pittsburgh was actually on its fourth kicker that year after Garrett Hartley suffered an injury. Teams on fourth kickers aren’t supposed to strike gold. The Steelers did.
They found the greatest kicker in franchise history.
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