Chris Boswell, the Pittsburgh Steelers' kicker, is on the cusp of breaking several records, but one stands out as particularly elusive. While he's set to surpass Gary Anderson's career field goal record and is on pace to break Shaun Suisham's career field goal percentage record, there's one record that remains out of reach: the franchise record for most single-season extra points. Set by Matt Bahr in 1979, this record is a formidable barrier that Boswell has yet to breach.
Boswell's single-season high for extra points is 43, achieved in 2018. This falls far short of Bahr's record of 50, and even further behind the other top single-season totals of 45. Last year, Boswell missed breaking the 40-point mark due to a partially blocked and wide-drifting extra point attempt, highlighting the fine line between success and failure in this area. With the Steelers' offense currently ranking lower in scoring compared to the 1979 season, reaching 51 extra points in a single season seems highly improbable.
The challenge is twofold. Firstly, the Steelers' offense needs to become significantly more potent to support Boswell's extra point attempts. Secondly, the NFL has not yet made a push to extend the season to 18 games, which would provide Boswell with more opportunities to break the record. This decision is attributed to leadership disarray within the NFLPA, and the next potential change may not occur until the 2031 season, by which time Boswell will be 40 years old and potentially nearing the end of his career.
Despite the challenges, Boswell's career extra point record is a more achievable goal. He needs just 64 more extra points to surpass Anderson's career record, and with good health, he's likely to reach this milestone by the end of 2027. However, breaking the single-season record remains a distant prospect, and it's uncertain whether the Steelers' offense will ever reach the level required to support such an achievement.
In conclusion, while Chris Boswell is on track to break several records, the single-season extra points record remains a formidable barrier. The Steelers' offense must significantly improve, and the NFL must extend the season to provide Boswell with more opportunities to break this record. Until these changes occur, Boswell's legacy will be incomplete, and the question of whether he will ever hold this record will linger.
