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If Chris Boswell thought his job was safe after the Pittsburgh Steelers worked out two potential replacement on Wednesday without signing one of them, he might not be feeling so confident if he saw a tweet from Jeremy Fowler of ESPN later in the day.
Kai Forbath had a strong kicking workout with the Steelers and the team is keeping him on hold while they figure out Chris Boswell’s situation. Thursday’s practice could be big for Boswell.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) December 13, 2018
With Fowler reporting that Kai Forbath impressed in his tryout with the Steelers, it would appear that the former Minnesota Vikings kicker still has a chance of unseating Boswell this season, even if it is not this week.
Releasing their incumbent kicker is not necessarily a straightforward process for Pittsburgh given the size of the contract Boswell inked in August. Outstanding dead money of $4.8 million in 2019 would cost the Steelers an additional $600,000 over his listed cap hit for next season if they let him go this year.
As well as Forbath may have performed during his workout, Pittsburgh would be well advised to review his 2017 season with the Vikings. That year he missed six field goals and five extra points, the exact same number as Boswell has missed in 2018.
Should he struggle in practice over the coming days, there is a chance Boswell might not make it to the weekend with the Steelers. But it seems more likely he will get another shot to prove his worth against the New England Patriots on Sunday, with Forbath on speed dial should Boswell disappoint once again.