The Pittsburgh Steelers' off-season has been more active than usual. At the forefront, contract extensions have been a hot topic. First, it was All-Pro safety, Minkah Fitzpatrick, as Omar Khan was quick to extend the star defender in his first move as general manager.
After Fitzpatrick, wide receiver Diontae Johnson and kicker Chris Boswell were the next two possible beneficiaries of an extension. The two are still waiting on those extensions, as training camp began this week in Latrobe. For Johnson, a deal seems unlikely, despite his potential hold-in as practices kicked off on Tuesday. As for Boswell, another long-term contract between him and the Steelers seems imminent. From Chris Adamski of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review, Boswell was asked about his mindset of the potential of a deal being able to be completed before the start of the regular season.
“I am sure, I am sure [a deal can be reached before the season],” Boswell said via Adamski's article. “But I am here to kick, and I am here to do what I can for the team; I am not here to think about a contract or numbers.”
DK Pittsburgh Sports
The kicker has established himself as one of the better players in the league at his position. While Boswell's career success has only led to one Pro Bowl appearance in 2017, a lot of that has to do with the fact that perhaps the greatest kicker of all-time resides in the same division as well. That is, Justin Tucker of the Baltimore Ravens, who makes it very hard to make the Pro Bowl at kicker with his consistent excellence each season.
Boswell's coming off perhaps the best season of his career, as he was 36-for-40 (90%) in 2021. While his four misses were tied for second-most in his seven-year career, the level of difficulty in his kicks was raised significantly last season. Specifically, he went eight-for-nine (88.9%) from 50+ yards. He's never been known to kick it very far, but he proved those doubters wrong.
The eight field goal makes from that distance doubled his previous career-high of four, back in 2017. In fact, he had just nine field goals of that distance in his first six seasons. Suffice to say, he showed his range in 2021, and had a few clutch, game-winning kicks as well. Despite his success, he's not adamant on an extension being done right away.
“I am going to go out there [and work]; I made it that way this far in my career, so I am not going to start worrying about that [contract situation] now. I think [the Steelers] just have their priorities, who they are going to sign and when,” Boswell said.
Before signing with the team back in 2015, Boswell had no prior success in the NFL. He was an undrafted kicker out of the University of Rice, having bounced around a few NFL teams. People within the Steelers probably didn't expect him to become the long-term guy that he is now. In that opening season, he made 36 of his 39 (92.3%) field goal attempts in 14 games. That included a solid seven-for-seven in the playoffs that year, in 2015.
Via USA Today
In fact, Boswell's never missed a field goal in the playoffs, as he's 16-for-16 in eight games. He's kicked just once in the team's last three playoff trips, all of which have been one-and-done appearances. In other words, you can trust Boswell in any moment. That is, with the game on the line, from long-range or short-range. Somehow, he seemingly remains underrated, particularly around the league. Now, he looks to get yet another big extension with the Steelers.
Do you guys think the Steelers will reach an extension with Boswell before the season starts? Should they prioritize getting it done now or wait until the end of the season? Let us know your thoughts below on the Chris Boswell contract situation!
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