This is the ninth in a series on the Steelers' roster as the team prepares to report to training camp at Saint Vincent College July 23. Today: Specialists
Specialists: Chris Boswell (PK), Ben Sauls (PK), Cameron Johnston (P), Corliss Waitman (P), Christian Kuntz (LS), Tucker Addington (LS)
Chris Boswell had perhaps the greatest season by a placekicker in the history of the NFL in 2024.
Sure, there have been kickers who have had more points and even more field goals in a season, but of Boswell's 41 successful kicks in 2024, 13 came from 50 yards and beyond – against just 15 attempts.
Only Dallas' Brandon Aubrey, with an NFL-record 14, had more. But Aubrey also missed seven kicks overall last season.
Boswell also is the career leader in field goal percentage from 50 yards and beyond at 82.7 percent.
Boswell, now 34, just seems to get better with age.
He ranks fourth on the NFL's all-time field goal percentage list, having made just over 88 percent of his career kicks and well over 50 percent of his kickoffs the past two years have resulted in touchbacks.
The Steelers also are bringing former Pitt star Ben Sauls to camp to provide Boswell with some kicking relief and save his leg for the kicks that matter. Sauls, a left-footed kicker, also provides a bit of a challenge for the team's holders since they have to reverse their process.
The Steelers have two NFL-capable punters in Cameron Johnston and Corliss Waitman.
Johnston was signed last offseason to help upgrade the team's punting game and looked as if he would be a weapon in training camp and the preseason. But the veteran suffered a knee injury in the team's regular season opener and missed the rest of the year.
He has averaged 47.3 yards per punt over the course of his career, including 51.5 yards on his two kicks in 2024 for the Steelers.
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When Johnston was lost for the season, the Steelers were fortunate Waitman, who had been with them previously, was available.
The left-footed kicker proved to be a weapon in his own right, as multiple returners had issues handling the reverse spin on his kicks, while his 46.4 yards per kick average was more than good enough to help win games.
Christian Kuntz has been the Steelers' long snapper since 2021. He'll have some camp competition this year in the form of veteran Tucker Addington, who has appeared in 10 career games with Miami, New England and Washington.
While that group comprises the actual specialists, the Steelers' special teams units as a whole were among the best in the league last season, leading the league with three blocked kicks while allowing just 7.1 yards per punt return, which ranked sixth in the league.
Calvin Austin III also averaged 10.3 yards per punt return, which ranked 11th in the NFL.
