
#9 PK · Pittsburgh Steelers
Height
6'2"
Weight
185 lbs
Age
35
College
Rice
Draft
Undrafted
Experience
11 yrs
PK Rank
#7 / 39
Grade Chris Boswell
Your grade joins the crowd-sourced Fan Verdict.
On the field, Chris Boswell grades out as a strong PK for Pittsburgh Steelers (B- Performance). That places him 7th of 39 graded pks. The money matches the play — the Contract Value Index lands at B-, good value. The public read is very positive (A Sentiment), drawn from current news and social signal rather than the box score. With 11+ seasons of track record, these grades rest on a deep sample.
| Year | Team | GP | FG% |
|---|---|---|---|
| Career | ![]() | 108 | 87.7% |
| 2025 | ![]() | 17 | 84.4% |
| 2024 | ![]() | 17 | 93.2% |
| 2023 | ![]() | 17 | 93.5% |
| 2022 | ![]() | 12 | 71.4% |
| 2021 |
Length
4 years
Total Value
$28.0M
AAV
$7.0M/yr
Chris Boswell's value math nets a B- Contract Value Index — placing the deal in a clear band relative to the league median at PK. The $7M AAV four-year extension ties him with Brandon Aubrey at the position's ceiling, a market-setting benchmark that reflects the Steelers' institutional confidence in a proven veteran rather than a speculative investment. On the field, Boswell's 2025 season graded as solid rather than elite, earning a B- performance mark that aligns with the steady, reliable execution expected of a franchise cornerstone specialist—production that justifies Pittsburgh's willingness to lock in a 35-year-old kicker at premium rates. At 11 seasons deep in his career and in his established-veteran phase, Boswell carries genuine clutch credentials and a track record of high-leverage execution that insulates him from the typical durability concerns that plague kickers at this age, a narrative the media has uniformly validated. The Steelers' recent roster churn—targeted depth moves across the offensive line, secondary, and receiving corps—reads as win-now positioning, which only reinforces why securing a pressure-tested specialist at the market's top tier makes organizational sense heading into 2026. While the four-year structure does create some back-end flexibility risk, the deal reflects realistic positional economics: elite, proven kickers command top-market dollars, and Boswell has earned that standing through both production and the kind of cultural currency only veteran specialists accumulate over time.
Other same-position deals the Contract Value Index also places in the B band — a quick read on where Chris's contract sits relative to comparable money.
Chris Boswell's performance grade lands at B-, capturing how he stacks up at PK this season. At 35 years old with 11 seasons of NFL experience, Boswell remains a reliable, above-average specialist—a tier well above replacement-level but without the sustained elite consistency that would command a higher grade. His durability was exceptional: he appeared in all 17 games during the 2025 season, demonstrating the kind of iron-man availability that's table stakes for a premier kicker. The most notable statistical entry from his 2025 campaign is his tackle count—two tackles across those 17 games—a modest but appropriate depth-piece contribution reflecting his role as a specialist without defensive responsibilities. What the B- grade captures is a discrepancy between Boswell's established reputation as a clutch performer and pressure-tested veteran versus a 2025 season that, while solid, lacked the dominance his Hall-of-Fame trajectory and recent $28 million, four-year extension suggest. At this stage of his career, Boswell is still a reliable organizational asset—the Steelers' institutional confidence reflected in that market-tying contract is well-founded—but the gap between his legendary status and his current on-field output explains the measured performance assessment heading into 2026.
Chris Boswell ranks 7th of 39 graded pks by performance. That slots Chris between Eddy Pineiro (B-) just ahead and Chase Mclaughlin (B-) just behind.
Graded higher
Eddy PineiroSan Francisco 49ersB-Cam LittleJacksonville JaguarsB-Matt PraterBuffalo BillsB-Graded lower
Chase MclaughlinTampa Bay BuccaneersFan reaction and beat coverage cluster around an A sentiment grade for Chris Boswell. The narrative around the 35-year-old kicker entering the 2026 offseason is one of unqualified organizational confidence and genuine respect for his standing as the premier specialist at his position—media outlets frame his four-year, $28 million extension as a market-setting benchmark rather than an overpay, and Pittsburgh's fanbase has long regarded him as one of the most reliable and beloved figures in Steelers history. That positive framing reflects real production; while his 2025 season performance grades out as solid rather than spectacular, Boswell's track record of clutch execution in high-leverage moments has insulated him from the kind of scrutiny that often dogs specialists at his tier. The Steelers' recent roster moves—a series of depth signings and targeted cuts across the offensive line, secondary, and tight end room—read as organizational investment in the win-now window, which only amplifies the message that locking in a proven veteran kicker is a sound priority. The momentum here is unmistakably positive: at 11 seasons in, Boswell carries the dual weight of being both the benchmark for kicker compensation and one of the most pressure-tested performers in the league, expectations he has historically shown the ability to meet, and the market has rewarded him accordingly.
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Chris Boswell is a veteran in his 11th NFL season listed at PK for the Pittsburgh Steelers. FanVerdicts covers every NFL player, team, GM, and transaction — and puts your verdict on all of it. Sign in to cast your Fan Verdict on Chris Boswell, see where the crowd lands, and argue the call. FanVerdicts also brings its own read — performance, sentiment, and Contract Value Index — as one honest input alongside the crowd's. Where FanVerdicts has weighed in so far: Contract Value Index B-, Performance B-, Sentiment A.
The crowd's Fan Verdict moves in real time as fans vote on this profile. FanVerdicts' own read updates as new data lands — performance recalculates when NFL game stats post, sentiment shifts with media coverage and fan discussion, and the Contract Value Index recomputes when contract terms change. Contract details below show the structure (years, total value, average annual value, guarantees) behind the Contract Value Index read.
For league-wide context, the NFL hub has team rankings, GM report cards, the transactions feed, and live scoreboards. The NFL player rankings page sorts every active player by performance and contract value within their position.
![]() |
| 17 |
| 90.0% |
| 2020 | ![]() | 13 | 95.0% |
| 2019 | ![]() | 16 | 93.5% |
| 2018 | ![]() | 15 | 65.0% |
| 2017 | ![]() | 16 | 92.1% |
| 2016 | ![]() | 15 | 84.0% |
| 2015 | ![]() | 12 | 90.6% |
Updated May 27, 2026
Recent seasons are weighted more heavily in the overall performance grade.
C-
2025
(50% weight)
B
2024
(30% weight)
B
2023
(20% weight)
Peers ranked by Performance grade among players at the same position. Tap any name for their full profile.