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Boz looking for a raise

Kicker has outperformed his contract

Chris Boswell is angling for a new contract, and it’s tough to blame him. He’s been awfully effective in recent years. For the bulk of his career, really.

Boswell has made at least 90 percent of his field goals seven times in his career. Nobody else has done that. (On the chart below, I’m using 20 field goal attempts per season as the minimum.)

Boswell has done it despite contending with problematic kicking conditions far more often than most at the position.

SEASONS OVER 90 PERCENT
KickerNo
Chris Boswell7
Nick Folk6
Justin Tucker6
Stephen Gostkowski5
Matt Bryant5
Adam Vinatieri5
Dan Bailey4

Boswell’s effectiveness on long-range kicks has been particularly impressive. He’s made 34 field goals from 50-plus over the last four years – 6 more than anyone else. He’s also made 85 percent of his last 40 attempts on those kicks.

In the last four years, 23 kickers have attempted at least 20 field goals from 50-plus. Only one has been more accurate than Boswell (who’s been able to overcome weather problems).

50-YARD FIELD GOALS (last 4 yrs)
KickerFGFGAPct
Brandon Aubrey2427.889
Chris Boswell3440.850
Ka'imi Fairbairn2834.824
Chase McLaughlin2834.824
Nick Folk2025.800
Graham Gano2025.800
Cairo Santos1924.792
Cameron Dicker1621.762
Matt Prater2229.759
Daniel Carlson2534.735
Jason Myers2231.710
Joey Slye1724.708
Evan McPherson2435.686
Jake Elliott1624.667
Dustin Hopkins1421.667
Harrison Butker1726.654
Younghoe Koo2031.645
Jason Sanders2133.636
Matt Gay2236.611
Justin Tucker2236.611
Brandon McManus2135.600
Greg Joseph1628.571
Greg Zuerlein1323.565

As well as he’s played, Boswell is looking at the financial landscape of the league, feeling it’s time to get his contract adjusted. He signed a four-year deal worth $20 million back in 2022, which has turned into a team-friendly deal. He currently ranks 11th in average pay among kickers, and he has two years left on the deal.

Harrison Butker is currently the highest-paid kicker, with an average of $6.4 million, while the other Pennsylvania kicker, Jake Elliott, averages $6.0 million. That’s probably the kind of range Boswell is shooting for.

Whether he can get it remains to be seen. The Steelers have other financial concerns, and they might feel they can get by with a more modestly priced kicker, if necessary.

—Ian Allan

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