Danny Smith hints that the Steelers plan to use K Chris Boswell under the new kickoff rule: “He’s all in”

Chris Boswell is one of the best field goal kickers in the history of the game, so his job is secure. Regardless of what might happen in other areas of a kicker’s duties, the Pittsburgh Steelers have their leg. And they apparently intend to use that leg under the new rules for kickoffs while others consider alternatives.

The Kansas City Chiefs were the first team to admit they might want to use non-kickers to kick off. I suggested at the time that the Steelers might do the same, given Boswell’s injury history. Even the Baltimore Ravens, with Justin Tucker, are considering it.

But listening to special teams coordinator Danny Smith, I’m not sure he sounds particularly interested. Asked what impact Boswell has on their approach given the new kickoff rule, Smith laughed and said, “None.” But he also said that “Boz is all in” with the new kickoff. “He’s going to be good at it. Trust me. He’s going to be very good at it.”

The problem with the new kickoff rules or kickers, of course, is not the kick itself. Based on studies of similar kickoff formulas in other leagues, the kicker can be used on over 25 percent of all kickoffs or more in competition. Historically, you want the kicker to make as few tackle attempts as possible, so for Boswell, that changes the situation.

Boswell has seven tackles in his career, although he hasn’t made one since 2019 – for the better, mind you. He recovered one fumble in 2021. But the Steelers want him to focus primarily on field goals and extra points, where he excels.

Currently, Boswell is the sixth most accurate kicker in NFL history at 87.2 percent. All five kickers currently ahead of him are active players, four of whom entered the NFL in 2017 or later. The exception is Tucker, who has been in the game since 2012 and is the only player to score above 90 percent, right at the top.

Tucker told reporters he wasn’t sure he would participate in tackling drills for the first time since high school. The fact is, all 32 teams are figuring out how to do this whole thing. Depending on personnel, different teams may find that what works for one organization doesn’t work for them. How comfortable are the Steelers with the possibility of Chris Boswell attempting a half-dozen or more tackles?

On the other hand, the alternative is to use a non-kicker who kicks with much greater variability. But the game itself is a highly explosive situation where a missed tackle could potentially result in a touchdown. That one extra tackler in the game can be more valuable than a full-time kicker.

My guess is that virtually no team will ultimately choose a non-kicker for the job. If they do, they’ll either have a suspect non-kicker or a reliable non-kicker. The Chiefs believe they have one, and to be fair, some non-specialists do have kicking backgrounds. Maybe some multi-sport athletes have played football. But do the Steelers have football players who can relieve Boswell of kickoff duties?