It’s been a rough season for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Super Bowl aspirations were never realistically in the agenda for this 2022 team, especially with a new quarterback room (not including third-string veteran, Mason Rudolph). Making the playoffs was though, as head coach Mike Tomlin somehow led his squad to the postseason in 2021. Now, Tomlin is staring at his first potential below-.500 season as coach of the Steelers.
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He’s trying his hardest to avoid that, as the black and gold’s two-game winning streak has them at 5-7. The playoffs do somehow remain a possibility, albeit a slim one. The schedule is favorable down the stretch, so we can hold out hope for now. Amidst the struggles this season, there haven’t been as many standout players as a result. TJ Watt, the most obvious candidate and the reigning AP Defensive Player of the Year, has missed a vast majority of the season.
That means Watt isn’t a candidate to represent the Steelers at the Pro Bowl. The two other defensive stars, Minkah Fitzpatrick and Cam Heyward, have performed quite well. Barring injury, Fitzpatrick seems to be a lock to make the 2022 Pro Bowl at this point. He leads AFC free safeties in voting, as his four interceptions and eight pass deflections have been crucial for keeping Pittsburgh's defense afloat.
The star safety will be well deserving of making the Pro Bowl after missing out in 2021. As for Heyward, he’s had yet another phenomenal season at 33 years old. It seems he may not make the Pro Bowl though, as he wasn't listed as being near the top of his position in Teresa Varley's article of the updated voting. That's quite unfortunate, as he has still been quite elite this season. In 12 games this season, he has five sacks, eight tackles for loss, and 13 quarterback hits.
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Alex Highsmith has enjoyed a phenomenal season, finally reaching double-digit sack numbers. His 10.0 sacks are tied-for-fifth in the NFL this season, and he ranks fourth amongst AFC outside linebackers. Derek Watt and Pat Freiermuth are the only other two players that were mentioned to be near the top of their positions in voting.
Watt ranks sixth amongst fullbacks, a spot in which is becoming more sparse across the NFL. He's more of a special teamer at this point, as he's seen just 54 offensive snaps for the Steelers in 2022. Freiermuth also ranks sixth amongst AFC tight ends despite his 597 receiving yards. That ranks fourth amongst tight ends in the NFL, but he does have just one touchdown which does hinder his overall stats outlook a bit.
Unfortunately for him, the two best pass-catching tight ends in football reside in the AFC in Mark Andrews and Travis Kelce. Because of that, it will be difficult for Freiermuth to make the Pro Bowl, especially considering he's sixth in voting at the moment. No one else on the Steelers has much of a chance of making it, as these are the lone players with a decent amount of votes. While offensive lineman James Daniels deserves a shout, he hasn't been good enough to be considered one of the best at his position.
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Do you think any other Steelers players are deserving? Which of the guys mentioned should/will make the 2022 Pro Bowl? Will you tune into the NFL's updated version of the Pro Bowl? Share your thoughts on this in the comment section below, as well as on our social media sites!
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