With the final week of the NFL’s regular season in the books, Pittsburgh Steelers K Chris Boswell has made history. He becomes the first Steeler to ever finish a season as the league’s leader in scoring.
Boswell ended his 2024 campaign with 158 points. Leading the season in scoring for most of the season, he entered Week 18 with a comfortable 16-point advantage over the Houston Texans K Ka’imi Fairbairn and Dallas Cowboys K Brandon Aubrey. With four field goals and an extra point Sunday, Aubrey closed the gap but finished shy with 150. Fairbairn wrapped up his impressive season with 142. Los Angeles Chargers’ K Cameron Dicker tied Aubrey for second with 150 points.
NFL Points/Scoring Leaders, 2024
1. Chris Boswell/Steelers: 158
2. Brandon Aubrey/Cowboys: 150
2. Cameron Dicker/Chargers: 150
4. Chase McLaughlin/Buccaneers: 144
Leading the NFL with 41 field goals, Boswell also made all 35 of his extra points. His value was evident from the first week of the season. Not only did he kick six field goals to put up all of the Steelers’ 18 points in a win over the Atlanta Falcons, he helped close out the win by punting after starter Cameron Johnston was lost with a season-ending knee injury.
Twice, Boswell went 6-for-6 on field goals. In addition to the Falcons game, he posted the same line in a Week 11 victory over the Baltimore Ravens. He missed just three kicks all season, two from long-distance while the third was blocked.
In team history, several have come close to leading the NFL in scoring. There’s been at least four instances of a Steeler finishing second in the league.
| Year | Second Place | Points Leader |
|---|---|---|
| 1995 | K Norm Johnson/141 | RB Emmitt Smith/150 |
| 1985 | K Gary Anderson/139 | K Kevin Butler/144 |
| 1973 | K Roy Gerela/123 | K David Ray/130 |
| 1962 | K Lou Michaels/110 | FB Jim Taylor/114 |
Boswell’s points are easily his career-high. His previous best was the 142 he scored in 2017, finishing fourth league-wide. In 2024, he easily topped that figure thanks to a Steelers’ offense that improved but still struggled to finish drives in the end zone, meaning this stat comes with a twinge of disappointment.
A historically strong season for Boswell not just in team but league history. His 158 points are tied for tenth-most in a single season and fifth-most by a kicker. The record is 186 held by RB LaDainian Tomlinson and his 31 total touchdowns in 2006.
Despite a strong career in Pittsburgh, Boswell has made just one Pro Bowl back, his lone nod coming in 2017. Overshadowed by the Baltimore Ravens’ Justin Tucker for most of that time, Tucker’s regression this year allowed Boswell to shine and get the national attention long overdue. He should make his second Pro Bowl and hopefully first All-Pro team.
The 2024 season was the year of the kicker. A 17-game campaign helps boost numbers but Boswell and Aubrey became the fourth and fifth kickers to ever make 40 field goals in a season. Boswell’s 41 is second-most, only trailing David Akers’ record of 44 set in 2011. Dicker finished just shy with 39 of them.
