Steelers Announce 2025 Team Captains

This is the 11th time that Heyward has been named a team captain in his 15 seasons with the organization. His 11 times as captain serves as the second-most in the history of the franchise, trailing only Ben Roethlisberger’s 13 times elected captain. Heyward was a first-round pick of the Steelers during the 2011 NFL Draft, going 31st overall.

Superstar rusher T.J. Watt collects a defensive captaincy nod for the fifth time in his career. He was one of the team captains the previous three years and was named captain for the first time during the 2020 campaign. Watt has been with the Steelers since they selected him with the 30th pick of the 2017 NFL Draft.

Killebrew is also familiar with being an officially recognized leader of the Steelers’ locker room. This is the fourth time that he has been named the special teams captain, continuing an uninterrupted stretch that began during the 2022 season. Killebrew has been with the organization since signing as a free agent before the 2021 season.

Rodgers is in his first season with the Steelers, but his leadership qualities have already been noticed by the entire organization. His command of the offense and his experience in the NFL made him an easy choice for the offensive side of the ball. The four-time league MVP has been a captain 14 previous times with the Green Bay Packers and New York Jets.

The announcement of the captains continues a busy Labor Day for the Steelers. Just before they announced the leadership team, the organization announced the signing of starting running back Jaylen Warren to a contract extension. With this contractual work done and their captains sorted, the Steelers' locker room has tied up nearly every loose end as Week 1 of the regular season arrives. All that's left waiting is kick-off against the New York Jets.