What at first glance appear to be two routine roster moves by Omar Khan actually shed a lot of light on the NFL’s darker side.
Coming out of rookie mini-camp, the Steelers made two moves: They extended Chris Boswell’s contract through 2030, and they cut cornerback Cory Trice.
While neither move is surprising, both reveal the wicked role injuries play in a player’s success or failure when he rides the NFL roulette wheel.
Chris Boswell kicking 1 of 6 field goals. Cory Trice injured at St. Vincents. Photo Credits: AP via Tribune-Review; Photo Credit: Chaz Palla, Tribune-Review
Taken at face value, a glance at Boswell and Trice’s stat sheets suggests that you’re simply looking at two Pittsburgh Steelers players on the opposite ends of the NFL’s bell curve of career trajectories.
- Chris Boswell has played for 11 years in 167 games and scored 1250 points.
- Cory Trice has been on an NFL roster for 3 seasons, appeared in 6 games, making one start
There you have it ladies and gentleman — see for yourself ultimate meritocracy that is the NFL in action. The truly great players endure to play in hundreds of games, while others who can’t crack double digits are discarded as below average.
That is true, to a degree. About 40% of the players who begin the summer at St. Vincents won’t be on the opening day roster. Each summer, the cycle renews itself.
But merely looking at the number ignores the role that injuries play in swaying the NFL’s hand of fate.
- Boswell and Trice’s experiences drive that point home.
The Steelers drafted Cory Trice in the 7th round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Injuries were the reason why he fell to the 7th round. Still, immediately after the draft, Jim Wexell waxed about the prospect of Trice tandeming with Joey Porter Jr.
That dream got delayed by a season as Trice tore his ACL in his rookie training camp. His second year he not only made the 53 man roster, but started the Steelers 2024 week 2 road win over the Broncos, and made an end zone interception in what was a 13-6 win for Pittsburgh.
He coulda been great pic.twitter.com/XeYBxIg0xs
— Zac Celedonia (@ZeFlashNFL) May 13, 2026
The following week against the Chargers he lasted all of 3 snaps, and was out until the week 16 road loss to the Ravens. He got injured in camp again in the summer of 2025, healed enough to have his practice window opened, but got hurt again and finished the year where he started it – on injured reserve.
After having him spend 45 of 51 games in injured reserve, the Steelers waived Trice with a failed physical designation.
- Cory Trice may get another shot with a new team, but his NFL dream is on borrowed time.
In contrast, Chris Boswell inked a 4-year contract extension for a reported 28 million dollars. Even if he doesn’t play out the entire length of that contract, he’ll almost certainly break the Steelers all-time scoring record.
Boswell’s field goal percentage may “only” rank 5th among active kickers, but half of his kicks come at Acrisure Stadium one of the NFL’s most difficult venues.
- But Boswell didn’t get where he is on merit alone.
He joined the Steelers in 2015. Shaun Suisham began the summer as the Steelers kicker. But he got hurt during the Hall of Fame Game. So Kevin Colbert signed Garrett Hartley. Then Hartley got hurt. So Colbert traded for Josh Scobe. Scobe was OK. Until the Steelers lost on the road to the Ravens due in no small part to missed kicks , and then not so much.
Mike Tomlin let him go. Scobe’s agent leaked news of an injury. Maybe it was true, maybe it was made up.
- Either way neither Suisham, nor Hartley, nor Scobe ever kicked another ball in an NFL game.
Their injuries opened the door for Chris Boswell to make 1570 kicks in the NFL and counting, not including his one punt.
- Yes, injuries are as much a part of football as blocking and tackling.
They stop promising careers from one moment to the next, think Ryan Shazier. Other times they grind good players down, think Aaron Smith. Sometimes they end careers before they start, think Senquez Golson and now fellow cornerback Cory Trice.
- But for as harsh as that reality is, injuries also open doors for players such as Chris Boswell.
Here’s to wishing Chris Boswell success – and health – as he plays through his latest contract with the Steelers, and here’s to wishing Cory Trice better luck — and health — in either his next NFL stop – or his “Life’s Work.”
This is a great article Keith! We all had such high hopes for Cory Trice, yet he couldn’t stay healthy. Such a shame because it seemed he had true talent!