T.J. Watt comes within striking range of Steelers' history following latest accolade from the NFL
T.J. Watt is on a short list of greatest players to wear Black and Gold. That was further cemented by his fifth Pittsburgh Steelers MVP award, which he earned earlier this week. But on Thursday, Watt accomplished something even greater, and it puts him in some elite company. T.J. Watt Earns 7th Pro Bowl in […]
T.J. Watt is on a short list of greatest players to wear Black and Gold.
That was further cemented by his fifth Pittsburgh Steelers MVP award, which he earned earlier this week.
But on Thursday, Watt accomplished something even greater, and it puts him in some elite company.
T.J. Watt Earns 7th Pro Bowl in 8 Seasons
For the 24th consecutive season the Steelers are sending multiple players to the Pro Bowl Games, and it's the 33rd time in the last 36 seasons they are doing so.
Four players will represent the black and gold as kicker Chris Boswell, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and linebacker T.J. Watt were voted to the Pro Bowl Games, with all of them selected as starters.
– Teresa Varley, Steelers
For Watt, his 7th Pro Bowl in his first eight seasons placed him in an elite grouping of all-time Steelers. The only players to reach more Pro Bowls in that amount of time are Franco Harris and "Mean" Joe Greene.
"You have to put two guys on this man," said former Steelers and Hall of Fame Coach Bill Cowher. "You have to throw some screens early, some draws early just to slow him down and give him something to think about. He can wreak havoc in a game. He is that type of player…
"…He is a defensive player of the year candidate. He is a guy that can change a game. He is a first ballot Hall of Fame player. Those are guys you have to game plan for."
As for the other three, it can't be understated how impressive a season both Cam Heyward and Chris Boswell are having. Heyward is playing at an All-Pro level at age 35.
Boswell has only missed three field goals all season and is heading back to the Pro Bowl for the first time since 2017. He's been the picture of stability in a scoring unit that is anything but fluid a lot of the time.
"What can you say about Chris Boswell in 2024 that hadn't been written or said," said Coach Mike Tomlin. "He's been everything that we need him to be. He is performing at an extremely high level and we're extremely comfortable in calling upon him in just about any circumstances. It's just been special."
As for Minkah Fitzpatrick, a Pro Bowl is just par for the course when he's healthy. Yes, his numbers might not jump off the screen, but he scares a lot of teams from throwing in the deep post or over the middle just by being present in the secondary.
"A lot of us want to be really good at what we do," said defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. "Minkah, he is a perfectionist. He is always searching for perfection, and it doesn't matter what it is. It doesn't matter if you were playing him in checkers, he is going to try and be perfect and beat you every time. If you are playing golf, and he never golfed, he will try and beat you. That is just how he is wired. That makes him a little different."
Steelers’ finale against the Bengals just got a lot easier following critical health update
A good omen heading into Saturday.
