The Steelers May Have A Chris Boswell Problem

The Pittsburgh Steelers have a significant amount of extension candidates that could be very happy in the next couple of months. Several individuals from the 2023 NFL Draft Class could get a commitment from the organization long-term, while there are also some mainstays that deserve another deal from the franchise. This will meticulously be planned out by General Manager Omar Khan, but it's never that easy. Negotiating many different contracts at the same time can get murky, and the front office will have to determine which guys are going to get pen put to paper first prior to some of their teammates.

During 2025 training camp, it was noted as a big deal when it was reported that Cam Heyward was very quietly at practices, but not participating as he searched for a fresh deal. Shortly after that news emerged, there was an update on kicker Chris Boswell, who was also looking for a bump in pay, despite have two years left on his contract at the time, similarly to Heyward.

Well, now it seems as if the Steelers should have broken tradition and given Boswell a market resetting offer back in August of 2025. Calvin Watkins of The Dallas Morning News reported on Tuesday afternoon that Dallas Cowboys kicker Brandon Aubrey isn't just looking to change how kickers are compensated; he wants to earn $10 million per season or more.

"The Cowboys offered Aubrey the largest contract for a kicker in NFL history, according to a person with knowledge of the talks," Watkins wrote. "Aubrey, a restricted free agent, was offered a deal with an average salary of close to $7.5 million but is looking for nearly $10 million per season."

This changes plenty for the Steelers and Boswell. Pittsburgh's kicker is not just one of the best in the NFL at what he does; he is one of the most accurate and reliable of all time. If not for shaky 2016 and 2022 campaigns, he could be currently looked at as legitimately one of the best at his position of all time. He still has plenty of time to earn that honor as well. While Pittsburgh will undoubtedly pay him, it will likely have to be more than Aubrey if that deal gets done first.

No one is going to argue that the Steelers should let Boswell walk; he deserves to get paid, but now that the big leg in Aubrey down in Dallas is looking to demolish the market, it will directly affect Khan and Boswell's talks. After this report, it pretty much makes no sense for Boswell to sign anything until he see what it ends up looking like for Aubrey with the Cowboys.

Pittsburgh has plenty of cap space, which should help get something done with Boswell, but it's pretty insane to think that the kicker could end up getting more than team MVP Kenneth Gainwell in a deal. Boswell isn't entering free agency, but the point still stands. Kickers are more valuable than ever because of how far these individuals can kick the football, but it seems very weird that the case is just that because teams are going for it on fourth down more than ever.

Overall, no one has to make sense out of Aubrey's request. If he gets it, top kickers in the game are going to want to get paid as such. Boswell falls into that category. The NFL continues to raise the salary cap each year due to the ever-changing markets for each position. This is no different, and the Steelers' kicker is going to get something very similar to whatever is given to Aubrey in Dallas, which will likely be an unexpected eight-figure deal on an annual basis.

Steelers Should Have Paid Boswell In 2025

While Boswell's new contract won't break the bank, it certainly could have saved the team some money if it was completed back in the 2025 offseason. He is a franchise kicker, and was never going to be allowed to walk out the door in any kind of free agency looking ahead to 2026. Now, the organization faces a new problem that will cause it to pay up more than originally anticipated.

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