A year ago at this time, the big question surrounding Chris Boswell was how much money he would get from the Steelers in a contract extension.
Now, just one year removed from being a Pro Bowl kicker, the question is whether he will even be on the Steelers' roster in 2019.
Chances are the answer to that question is yes, but Boswell put that status in doubt with a season that saw him make just 13 of 20 field goals and also miss five PATs.
To say that Boswell didn't live up to the five-year, $19.72-million contract extension to which the Steelers signed him last summer would be an understatement.
"I’ve got an appreciation for everything," Boswell said Tuesday as the Steelers kicked off their second week of OTAs. "Just being here is a blessing. Just being in this sport, this industry is a blessing in general. As long as they’ll have me here, I’ll keep kicking."
The Steelers -- and Boswell -- expect him to not only keep kicking, but to start making the kicks he made regularly in his first three seasons with the team.
How bad was Boswell in 2018? Consider that his seven missed field goals in 2018 were just three more than he had missed on the first 95 attempts of his career. The five missed PATs were two more than he had missed on 109 attempts in his first three seasons.
Boswell went from a guy who made 89.5 percent of his kicks in his first three years to one who made just 65 percent.
Boswell said the issues were both physical and mental but that he feels he has worked through everything -- though he didn't necessarily want to share details.
"That’s not something that is ever going to be shared. I’ve had meetings with a lot of people, just getting to the bottom of everything," Boswell said. "Really, I’m trying to have a nice foundation going into camp and the season."
That included film study and looking at the things that had worked in previous years that did not in 2018.
"Every year, we look at years past," Boswell said. "What did I do differently from last year to what I did my first game here? There are little things here and there, but we just didn’t get it to go through the pipes."
They had better this year. As they typically do, the Steelers brought in another kicker to help ease some of the burden in these sessions and training camp. Only this time around, that kicker -- former Central Florida star Matthew Wright -- is considered more than just a camp leg.
When the team owner specifically mentions that missed kicks were an issue for the team, as Art Rooney II did when addressing the media following the 2018 season, you know you've been put on notice.
So, despite the fact the Steelers signed Boswell to that new deal last season and it would actually cost the team an additional $2.6 million more than his $4.2 salary cap to release him, if the Steelers don't believe he's back to where he was from 2015-2017, they could move on.
Boswell is intent on making sure that doesn't happen.
"It’s just next kick. I know I have to be better than last year," he said. "But I’m not even paying attention to last year. I’m focused on the next kick. I’m just trying to go day by day, kick by kick."
Perhaps that is what made Boswell's 2018 performance so disappointing. The previous season, he had been so good, going 35 of 38 on field goal attempts and making 37-of-39 PATs. He set a team record with 142 points.
The arrow seemed like it was pointed in a direction that had the 28-year-old on a path to be one of the best kickers in the league on a yearly basis.
And then 2018 happened.
Boswell finally landed on injured reserve with a groin injury suffered during warmups in New Orleans in Week 16. But he also made all four of his kicks in that game, banging home two field goals and two PATs.
"I’m going to stick to what I did last year. It didn’t work last year, but I’m going into my fourth year here. I’m here to do a job. I’m going to focus on that job and that’s it," Boswell said.
"The confidence is good. I’m hitting the ball really well and I’m going to continue to do that."
LOLLEY'S VIEW
The Steelers need Boswell to be better. As mentioned, it would actually cost the team an additional $2.6 million against the salary cap if he isn't their kicker in 2019.
Thus far, the kicker looks good. He's kicking the ball with authority and accuracy.
But it's May, not September, and that will be the true test for him.
It also wouldn't be a surprise if 2018 is just a blip on the radar. If you look through the careers of many of the top kickers in history, there is one year that seems to be an aberration. Then, they bounce back to what they typically did.
MATT SUNDAY GALLERY
Steelers organized team activities, Rooney Sports Complex, May 28, 2019 - MATT SUNDAY / DKPS