2 Steelers selected to the 2022 Pro Bowl

Minkah Fitzpatrick and T.J. Watt will represent the Steelers in the Pro Bowl Games.

The voting and selections for the NFL Pro Bowl for the 2022 season has come to an end. Even though the NFL has decided to do away with the game, which has become an embarrassment over the last several seasons, players are still selected to represent the respective conferences in the Pro Bowl Games which will be held at the week before the Super Bowl. With the announcement of those chosen on Wednesday evening, the Steelers have two players selected along with four alternates.

Pro Bowl Selections:

S Minkah Fitzpatrick
OLB T.J. Watt

Pro Bowl Alternates:

DT Cam Heyward
OLB Alex Highsmith
FB Derek Watt
TE Pat Freiermuth

After not being chosen in 2021 in what could be considered a bit of a snub, safety Minkah Fitzpatrick was selected to his third Pro Bowl with the previous coming in 2019 and 2020. Appearing in 12 games so far this season, Fitzpatrick has 74 tackles and four interceptions with one returned for a touchdown. Fitzpatrick also has nine passes defensed so far this season.

Despite missing seven games this season due to injury, reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year T.J. Watt was selected to his fifth-straight Pro Bowl. With only 4.0 sacks on the season, Watt has 29 tackles, four passes defensed, a forced fumble, and two interceptions through seven games.

It has also been announced the players who are considered Pro Bowl alternates who will be the first players to take the spots if others will not be able to attend. For the 2022 season, the Steelers have four players who were selected.

After five-straight Pro Bowl selections, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward has been selected as a Pro Bowl alternate. Through 14 games this season, Heyward has 55 tackles and 6.5 sacks along with a forced fumble, a fumble recovery, and two passes defensed. Heyward has also been selected as an All-Pro in three of the last five seasons.

In his third NFL season, outside linebacker Alex Highsmith has been selected as an alternate in what would be his first Pro Bowl. Through 14 games, Highsmith leads the Steelers with 11.0 sacks and is also tied for the NFL leading forced fumbles with five. Highsmith also has 51 tackles and one pass defense on the year. Based on his résumé for the year, it will likely come as a surprise to Steelers fans that Highsmith was not selected over his teammate at the same position.

The Steelers also have two alternates from the offensive side of the ball. Keeping it in the family, Steelers fullback Derek Watt has been selected as an alternate for the 2022 season. Appearing in all 14 games for the Steelers this season, Watt has six rushing attempts for 17 yards with all six carries being for a first down. Watt also has five receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown. Additionally, Watt has three tackles on special teams this season.

The other offensive player for the Steelers who was elected as a Pro Bowl alternate is tight end Pat Freiermuth. In his second season with the Steelers, Freiermuth has 53 receptions on 82 targets for 630 yards and two touchdowns in 13 games.

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Steelers players who were selected to the Pro Bowl and as alternates for the 2022 NFL season.

The complete Pro Bowl rosters for both conferences can be seen below courtesy of NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.