Will Boswell Be Steelers' Kickoff Specialist?

In an attempt to make special teams an exciting facet of the game, the NFL has completely overhauled its kickoff rules. Gone are the days of de facto commercial breaks and constant touchbacks.

Now, changes in alignment, designated zones, and touchbacks have incentivized returns and injected athleticism into the once-afterthought of a play. The rules are also intended to promote player safety, too.

© Philip G. Pavely-USA TODAY Sports

While most of the attention has revolved around who may be returning these kicks (no, not Justin Fields), the kickoff specialist may become just as important.

No longer are kickers going to be asked to simply boot the ball as far as they can. Placement, along with non-traditional kicking styles, may be prioritized, meaning some teams will have to take a closer look at their kickoff specialist.

For the Pittsburgh Steelers, the incumbent is kicker Chris Boswell. For all intents and purposes, he was fine in his duties last year, with 55 touchbacks on 76 attempts.

According to special teams coordinator Danny Smith, the plan is to stick with Boswell in that same role for 2024.

“Boz is all in,” Smith said. “He’ll be good at it. Trust me. He’ll be very good at it.”

His only real competition for the job would be newly-signed punter Cameron Johnston. Whomever it ultimately is, though, must be prepared to get their hands dirty.

Due to the new rules, kickers are going to be in a position to tackle returners more than ever before. It’s possible some teams, fearing a star kicker twisting an ankle or bruising a sternum, pivot elsewhere on kickoffs.

For now, the Steelers have their man in Boswell, and they’re publicly confident in his ability to adjust to the environmental changes coming this season.