PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Steelers will be without kicker Chris Boswell for at least four more games after placing him on injured reserve Thursday afternoon.
Boswell first appeared on the injury report Friday before the Week 8 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles with a right groin injury. After signing a four-year, $20 million extension during training camp, Boswell is 12-of-16 on field goal attempts and 9-of-9 on extra point attempts this season.
He didn’t play the Eagles, and the Steelers signed Nick Sciba, a rookie and drafted free agent who spent training camp with the team, to handle kicking duties the day before the game. Sciba hit both field goals and converted an extra point against the Eagles, but the Steelers released him after bye week. In his place, the team signed kicker Matthew Wright from the Kansas City Chiefs practice team.
Because he was signed off by another team’s practice squad, Wright must remain on the Steelers’ 53-man roster for three weeks. He also served two other stints with the Steelers, including as a rookie at boot camp in 2019. Wright has a proven leg, converting a 59-yard field goal for the Chiefs — a franchise record — against the Las Vegas Raiders.
After Boswell’s injury vacated the roster spot, the Steelers called up safety Damontae Kazee from injured reserve. Linebacker TJ Watt remains on injured reserve, although both he and coach Mike Tomlin were “optimistic” about his availability for Sunday’s game.