After several years of contending for the title of best NFL kicker, the Steelers’ Chris Boswell is back on the top of the market.
On Monday, Pittsburgh and Boswell agreed to a four-year, $28 million extension, tying the Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey for the highest yearly kicker salary in the league.
How would you grade the Steelers’ Chris Boswell extension?
The deal keeps Boswell in Pittsburgh through the 2030 season. The 35-year-old has made 90% of his field goal attempts in seven of his 11 years in the NFL so far. He currently ranks sixth all-time among the most
accurate qualified kickers in league history.
In 2025, Boswell made 84.4% of his kicks, with several of his misses being attributed to situations such as blocks or poor footing. Despite logging his worst percentage in the last three years, Boswell did set a career high in distance, making his first career 60-yarder against the Jets in Week 1.
And in 2024, Boswell made his second career Pro Bowl and earned his first career first-team All-Pro nod after making 93.2% of his attempts, including going 13-15 from over 50 yards. He’s been one of most reliable specialists in the NFL over his career, with a knack for making clutch kicks from distance, and succeeding in a difficult open-air environment in Pittsburgh’s Acrisure Stadium.
In short, Boswell has been very good for a long time, making his extension well-deserved.
Plus, despite Boswell now being tied as the NFL’s highest paid at his position, the kicker market remains incredibly cheap considering the importance of the role. Even with his new contract, Boswell is projected by Spotrac to be the Steelers’ 17th-highest cap hit in 2026 — not bad considering he’s performed like the team’s MVP in multiple past years.
The only nitpick you could really make with Boswell’s new deal would be potential age concerns down the road, but good NFL kickers have proven to hold their value through their late 30s and early 40s. Matt Prater and Nick Folk each made 90% or more of their field goal attempts in 2025 at age 41, with the latter making a long of 58 yards.
Keeping Boswell in Pittsburgh long-term was absolutely the right move for the Steelers.
Grade: A
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