Admitting he never was 'going to sit out,' Chris Boswell kicks game-winning field goal for Steelers

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. — His “hold-in” during training camp didn’t generate the attention that Cameron Heyward’s did.

He didn’t get an 11th-hour sweetener added to his contract even though, like Heyward, he has two years remaining on his deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Chris Boswell also never publicly expressed disappointment about his salary and the team’s reluctance to give him more money.

Boswell kept quiet, which isn’t surprising because he hardly gives interviews, and simply went about his business.

And when called upon to bail out the Steelers on Sunday, Boswell continued to show why he is the NFL’s best kicker.

Boswell’s career-long 60-yard field goal — his second conversion from 55-plus yards — late in the fourth quarter was the difference in the Steelers’ 34-32 victory against the New York Jets in the season opener at MetLife Stadium.

A year ago, Boswell provided all the points in an 18-16 season-opening win at Atlanta. That game helped catapult Boswell to a record season and inaugural first-team All-Pro nod.

It didn’t result in any additional income for Boswell, whose “hold-in” consisted of a few skipped practices at Saint Vincent.

“I’m not worried about that,” Boswell said Sunday. “My kicking will take care of that. I just have to show up for every kick and every game and see what happens at the end of the year.”

Boswell picked up where he left off from last season when he led the NFL with 41 field goals in 44 attempts, including 13 of 15 attempts from at least 50 yards. His 56-yard field goal provided a 10-9 lead in the second quarter, and his franchise-record 60-yarder with 1:03 remaining represented his 11th career winning field goal.

Unlike Heyward, who contemplated sitting out the opener until receiving $3.2 million in incentives Saturday night, Boswell had no intention of missing any games.

“I want to play this year and play with these guys,” he said. “I’m not ever going to sit out.”

Boswell made a 64-yard try during warmups while kicking in the opposite direction. He felt good kicking from long distance at the other end of the field, too.

“I felt good all day,” he said. “I was making solid contact. Can’t complain.”

Trailing by one, the Steelers got the ball back with 3:13 remaining at their 19. An Aaron Rodgers pass to tight end Pat Freiermuth gained 10 yards. A defensive pass interference call on a throw to Calvin Austin III gained 19 more to put the Steelers at their 48. An 11-yard toss from Rodgers to DK Metcalf pushed the ball into Jets territory.

Boswell wasn’t pondering the possibility of kicking another winning field goal.

“The worst thing you can do is get ahead of yourself and think ‘what-if’ type of stuff,” he said. “If it comes down to it, it comes down to it.”

The Steelers wanted a pass interference call on another throw to Austin but did not get the flag. That made it fourth-and-11 from the 42, and coach Mike Tomlin never had time to call for his kicker.

“I was on the field before he called ‘field goal,’ ” Boswell said. “He likes that, but it’s probably going to bite myself in the (butt) sometimes.”

Tomlin didn’t mind.

“That’s the type of guy you want banging for you under those circumstances,” he said.