The Pittsburgh Steelers will likely head into the 2022 season with the same special teams unit as last year. That is, the three main positions in kicker, punter, and long snapper. Chris Boswell has evolved into one of the premier kickers in the NFL, and we'll see if he gets a contract extension before the start of the season. Teams always seem to be swapping out long snappers, but Christian Kuntz has established himself in Pittsburgh.
Steelers' Charis Boswell kicks the game-winning FG over the Cincinnati Bengals in the 2015 Wild Card game. (Christopher Hanewinckel/USA Today Sports)
As for the punter, barring a tremendous preseason from Cameron Nizialek, 2021 seventh-rounder Pressley Harvin III will likely get a chance to prove himself in his sophomore season. Harvin struggled as a rookie, both as a holder and punter. Steelers beat writer, Teresa Varley, caught up with Boswell, who seems much more confident with Harvin heading into this season.
"When he came in, he was just holding for a college kicker. Not saying that is any different, but you have to be a lot more precise and in tune with each other at this stage," Boswell said via Varley. "I am 1,000 times more comfortable at this stage than last year at this time. He has worked his tail off to get where he is right now."
As Varley mentioned in her article, former Steelers punter, Jordan Berry held for Boswell for six seasons. That caused for an obvious transition period after the Steelers moved on from Berry in 2021, regardless of who the replacement was. Harvin had a difficult beginning to his professional career, including his father passing away on the morning of Christmas Day.
AP Photo/D. Ross Cameron
He seemed to be struggling with confidence in his punts, in addition to everything else going on. Boswell still managed to have a good season, as he was 36-for-40 (90%) on field goals and 27-for-29 (93.1%) on extra point attempts. Harvin's holding still had room for improvement though, and it seems he's worked to do just that throughout the off-season. Boswell specifically attributed the second-year punter's work ethic.
This doesn't seem like a big deal, but it should help further eliminate some of those smaller mistakes on special teams. Boswell's four field goal misses aren't bad by any means, but perhaps they can clear up any future mistakes when it comes to extra point attempts. Those are the ones you don't want to miss.
Boswell's comments help the odds of Harvin remaining on the team, as Nizialek still has an outside shot at unseating him after just one season in Pittsburgh. It seems likely though, that the team will give Harvin at least one more chance to prove himself. Coming out of Georgia Tech, he was seen as a very talented punter with his monstrous leg.
Pittsburgh Steelers punter, Pressley Harvin III (#6) punts the football at a game at Heinz Field back in 2021. | Don Wright / AP Photo
What are your guys' expectations for Harvin in Year 2? Do you give Nizialek any shot at beating him out for the Steelers' starting punter? Are you confident that Harvin will give Boswell better exchanges in 2022? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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