Steelers, kicker Chris Boswell agree to 4-year, $20 million extension: report

The Pittsburgh Steelers and Chris Boswell agreed to a four-year contract extension that will match the biggest average annual salary given to a kicker in NFL history, according to an ESPN report.

Boswell, 31, signed for a total of $20 million with $12.5 million guaranteed. The contract is identical in terms of years, total money and guarantees as the one the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker signed in 2019.

Tucker was named first-team All-Pro twice and second-team All-Pro once over the three seasons since. Although Boswell has never made the Pro Bowl — he’s blocked by Tucker in the AFC — he ranks second in the NFL in field-goal percentage (88.3%) since he made his NFL debut for the Steelers early during the 2015 season.

Boswell was the Steelers’ fourth option at the position that year, but aside from a uncharacteristically poor 2018 season, he has been one of the NFL’s most reliable kickers since. He’s made 11 of 13 kicks in the final two minutes of regulation of games or overtime, including three that led to wins last season when Boswell went 8 for 9 on field goal attempts of 50 or more yards.

Boswell had been scheduled to make $3.26 million in base salary this season with a $4.95 million salary-cap hit under the terms of a four-year contract he signed in 2018. That old deal would have had him as the NFL’s ninth highest-paid kicker in terms of average annual value.

Aside from the shaky 2018 season, Boswell has made 91.6% of his field-goal attempts for the Steelers (185 for 202), counting the playoffs.

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