Pittsburgh Steelers K Chris Boswell sits at 40 made field goals through the first 16 games of the 2024 season. Within striking distance is the all-time single-season field goal record. If Boswell were to break the record, however, it would be a clear sign of trouble.
After all, you never set out to score a field goal when you take possession of the ball. Even the Steelers, despite appearances, are looking for the end zone. Chris Boswell has won a couple games on his own this year, making more history in the process, but that is not what the plan was going in.
If Boswell makes five field goals against the Cincinnati Bengals, he will break the NFL single-season record of 44. But if the Steelers are kicking field goals five times against a high-scoring Cincinnati Bengals team, they are likely losing.
That’s not a guarantee, of course. The Steelers already beat an even more potent offense in the Baltimore Ravens with only Chris Boswell’s field goals. But they can’t count on holding Cincinnati to under 20 points, which they’ve only done three times this year.
Boswell already made Steelers history with the most made field goals and most points scored. He has a chance of becoming the first Steelers player to lead the league in scoring, as well. But the Steelers want to win playoff games, and beating the Bengals will help them do that. Kicking field goals instead of scoring touchdowns will not help beat the Bengals, so they better find a way for both.
For the second time in his career, Boswell made the Pro Bowl amid one of his best seasons. He has made 40 field goals on 43 attempts, with all of his misses from 40-plus. Two were from 50-plus, one from 60-plus, and one was blocked. Sitting at a 93-percent accuracy rate, this is the seventh time in 10 years he has been over 90 percent.
As of this writing, Chris Boswell ranks fourth in NFL history with a career 87.987 field goal percentage. All three of the kickers ahead of him are active players, with the struggling Justin Tucker at the top. Tucker is the only player above 89 percent, with Harrison Butker just below. Eddy Piñeiro is at exactly 88 percent, narrowly edging Boswell. If Piñeiro were to miss his next kick, Boswell would pass him.
Boswell would have made more NFL history this year were it not for historically good kicking. Prior to the start of the 2024 season, his 12 made field goals of 50-plus yards would be a new record. Yet no fewer than four kickers have hit or bettered that mark this year alone. Jason Sanders also made 12, while Ka’imi Fairbairn made 13. The Dallas Cowboys’ Brandon Aubrey enters the season finale now holding the record with 14. All three of them are below 90 percent on field goals for the season, however.
