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Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt and special teamer Miles Killebrew have been selected to the 2023 Associated Press All-Pro Team, the organization announced on Friday. Both were first-team selections.
Watt is an All-Pro for the fourth time in his seven-year career, while Killebrew has been honored for the first time. Both players, along with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick were voted to represent the Steelers in the 2024 NFL Pro Bowl Games.
Watt had 19 sacks this season and set a modern NFL record as the first player to lead the league in sacks for a third time since it became an official statistic back in the early 1980s. Deacon Jones of the Los Angeles Rams unofficially led the league in sacks five times the 1960s.
Watt recorded two sacks in the Steelers’ 17-10 win over the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday to increase his total to 19. He had been tied with Trey Hendrickson of the Cincinnati Bengals at 17 heading into Week 18. Hendrickson recorded a half-sack in the Bengals’ final-week win over the Cleveland Browns.
Watt also led the NFL in sacks in 2020 and 2021, when he tied the all-time single-season sack records, drawing even with Michael Strahan’s mark of 22.5.
This season, Watt’s statistical dominance went beyond sacks, as he also recorded 36 quarterback hits, 19 tackles for loss, eight passes defended, four forced fumbles, three fumbles recovered, one interception and one defensive touchdown, a game-sealing fumble return against the Browns.
WHAT A NIGHT FOR T.J. WATT
(via @NFL)pic.twitter.com/TpIVNZLYHl
— Sports Illustrated (@SInow) September 19, 2023
Killebrew blocked a punt and partially blocked another this season as the captain of the Steelers special teams units. He recorded 13 special teams tackles on the season.
2023 AP NFL All-Pro Team
FIRST TEAM
QB Lamar Jackson, Baltimore Ravens
RB Christian McCaffrey, San Francisco 49ers
FB Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco 49ers
TE George Kittle, San Francisco 49ers
WR Tyreek Hill, Miami Dolphins; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas Cowboys; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit Lions
LT Trent Williams, San Francisco 49ers
LG Joe Thuney, Kansas City Chiefs
C Jason Kelce, Philadelphia Eagles
RG Zack Martin, Dallas Cowboys
RT Penei Sewell, Detroit Lions
EDGE Myles Garrett, Cleveland Browns; T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh Steelers
IDL Aaron Donald, Los Angeles Rams; Chris Jones, Kansas City Chiefs
LB Fred Warner, San Francisco 49ers; Roquan Smith, Baltimore Ravens; Quincy Williams, New York Jets
CB DaRon Bland, Dallas Cowboys; Sauce Gardner, New York Jets
Slot CB Trent McDuffie, Kansas City Chiefs
S Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore Ravens; Antoine Winfield Jr., Tampa Bay Buccaneers
PK Brandon Aubrey, Dallas Cowboys
P AJ Cole, Las Vegas Raiders
KR Keisean Nixon, Green Bay Packers
PR Rashid Shaheed, New Orleans Saints
ST Miles Killebrew, Pittsburgh Steelers
LS Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville
The Steelers had just one AP All-Pro in 2022, when Fitzpatrick was selected for the third time in his career. It is the fifth consecutive year that the Steelers have had at least one first-team All-Pro, and all of those players have been defenders.
Steelers First-Team All-Pros
2023 OLB T.J. Watt, ST Miles Killebrew
2022 FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
2021 OLB T.J. Watt, DT Cam Heyward
2020 OLB T.J. Watt, FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
2019 OLB T.J. Watt, DT Cam Heyward, FS Minkah Fitzpatrick
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