There haven't been many inconsistencies around the Pittsburgh Steelers' organization in recent years. The roster has seen significant turnover over the past few offseasons, and Mike Tomlin—along with most of his old coaching staff—is no longer here. But Chris Boswell has been one of the biggest staples to the franchise for the better part of a decade.
Now the two-time Pro Bowl kicker has just been rewarded in the best way imaginable.
On Monday, ESPN insider Adam Schefter reported that the Steelers and Boswell have agreed to terms on a four-year, $28 million contract that will net the long-time kicker $7 million per season. Boswell's new deal ties Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey for the highest-paid kicker in NFL history. Bowsell's deal locks him to Pittsburgh through the 2030 season.
While Boswell is hardly new to the Steelers, this team has just entered uncharted territory with its record-breaking contract with Boswell. Based on what he's done in the past, Boswell is worth the money. At the same time, Boswell will need to take a step up from the quiet slump he had in 2025.
The Pittsburgh Steelers need the old Chris Boswell to return to get their money's worth out of his new contract
There's no question that kickers are an important part of the game. They score points in practically every contest, and the league's best kickers can help raise the floor of an offense. But we're hoping we see the 2024 version of Boswell return, not the one we saw last year.
In 2025, Boswell converted 27 of 32 field goals. This was good for just 84.4 percent. He also missed one of his 43 point-after attempts. While Boswell's field goal percentage was by no means bad, it was his fourth-lowest in 11 seasons as the Steelers' kicker.
And those numbers simply aren't good enough to justify a record-setting deal.
Here's the good news: Boswell has bounced back from worse seasons before. After converting just 65% of his field goals in 2018, Boswell converted 93.5%, 95/0%, and 90.0% in his next three seasons, respectively. Then, after converting 71.4% of his field goals in 2022, Boswell had back-to-back campaigns with over a 93% conversion rate.
While kickers can last a long time in the NFL, it's worth noting that Boswell is 35 years old, and by the end of his new contract extension, he'll be pushing 40. We hope that he can find success in his old age.
Last offseason, the Steelers handed T.J. Watt a record-setting contract after a down season, and it has already come back to bite them. Let's hope the same doesn't happen with Chris Boswell.
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