Steelers sign K Boswell, LB Williams to extensions

The Pittsburgh Steelers signed Pro Bowl kicker Chris Boswell and inside linebacker Vince Williams to extensions, the team announced Thursday.

Boswell's deal is for five years, putting him under contract through 2022, while Williams signed a four-year deal.

Terms were not disclosed, but multiple reports peg the value of Boswell's contract at $19.7 million ($3.94 million annually). Williams' deal is worth $20.6 million ($5.3 million annually), according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Boswell was scheduled to make $2.9 million in 2018 after the Steelers tendered him at a second-round level this offseason.

Stephen Gostkowski ($4.3 million annually), Graham Gano ($4.25 million), Justin Tucker ($4.2 million), Mason Crosby ($4.025 million) and Ryan Succop ($4 million) are the league's only kickers to average at least $4 million annually.

Boswell, 27, hit 35 of 38 (92.1 percent) field-goal attempts -- including all four attempts from 50-plus yards and four game-winners -- and 37 of 39 PATs (94.9 percent) last season while earning his first career Pro Bowl nod. The three-year veteran has made 89.5 percent of field-goal tries and 97.1 percent of PATs since joining the Steelers in October 2015.

Williams, 28, was entering the final year of a two-year, $4 million extension signed in August 2016. He told reporters earlier in training camp, "I want to die a Steeler."

After starting 11 games as a sixth-round rookie in 2013, Williams was primarily a reserve and special teamer until last season. In 2017, he started all 16 games and racked up 89 tackles and 8.0 sacks, 2.5 sacks more than any other off-the-ball linebacker in the NFL.

Through five NFL seasons, Williams has 278 tackles and 10.5 sacks in 79 games (33 starts).

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)