For any position in the NFL, it’s critical. But maybe none moreso than a kicker. If that’s your role, you better be able to handle the pressure.
So far, so good for Chris Boswell.
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ fourth kicker of 2015 has been, in a sense, a hero for the Steelers. After Josh Scobee flamed out, Boswell was scuttled in during the season and as you know, has been nothing short of a success. In six games, he’s made all 10/11 extra points and 14/15 field goals. Mike Tomlin couldn’t describe what has made the first-year player so calm but it doesn’t make him any less appreciative of that fact.
“I don’t know. I appreciate it though,” Tomlin told reporters Tuesday when asked what has made Boswell so successful.
“He’s a level-headed young man who’s got a cerebral approach to his business. But like I said when we acquired him, that was evident in the workout. All that has transpired since then is a continuation or expanded example of who he is that we kinda saw through the workout procedure.”
Boswell is another case of how fickle kickers can be. Scobee was a veteran with the best track record you could hope for. Whether it was a change in environment after being in Jacksonville for so long, some bad luck, or a combination of several factors, it didn’t work. And here trots in what was essentially a rookie who is playing like anything but.
Though it is still so far away, and really so meaningless to give any serious thought to, Boswell will push Shaun Suisham in 2016. Given Boswell’s success and much cheaper contract, he’ll be hard to ignore. Boswell is set to earn just $525,000 while in base salary along, Suisham is owed $2.4 million. It already highlights one of the better preseason battles next summer.
