Over the next several days, we’ll continue handing out our 2023 Pittsburgh Steelers awards. Alex Kozora led things off earlier this week, and today it’s my turn to make selections for our awards.
Offensive MVP -Isaac Seumalo
Gonna give some love to the offensive line here. Jaylen Warren is a good choice, and he got some consideration, but after a slow start, Seumalo blossomed into one of the NFL’s best guards and did exactly what he was brought here for.
He was one of the better guards in football, paving the way for Warren and Najee Harris to combine for 1,819 yards on the ground. Pittsburgh’s worked to upgrade its offensive line in recent offseasons, and signing Seumalo was one of the biggest commitments to that.
He’s a leader for a young unit and the run game improvement throughout the season was a big reason why Pittsburgh was able to make the playoffs. A lot of credit goes to Seumalo, who was also stout in pass protection, allowing just one sack this season.
Defensive MVP – T.J. Watt
No one else to go with here. Pittsburgh’s defense was strong, and Alex Highsmith was a dude all year, and the Steelers got a lot of good production out of Joey Porter Jr. and Minkah Fitzpatrick when the latter was healthy. But the team’s overall 1-11 record without Watt shows his importance to the Steelers and their defense, and he turned it on this season with a league-leading 19 sacks.
He also added four forced fumbles, 48 solo tackles and 19 tackles for a loss and was one of the best players in football. You can’t ignore how valuable Watt is to this team, and that makes him an easy selection for Defensive MVP.
Rookie of the Year – Joey Porter Jr.
Pittsburgh got a lot of production from its rookie class. Broderick Jones started half the season at right tackle, and if it weren’t for his struggles in pass protection that really showed themselves late in the season, I’d give him more consideration for this award. Darnell Washington was a solid blocking tight end, Keeanu Benton made a lot of plays on defense, and Nick Herbig flashed in limited snaps.
But Porter was the team’s top rookie, shadowing the opposition’s top receiver once he became a starter in Week Eight and playing like one of the best corners in football. For a team that’s struggled mightily to find productive corners in the draft in recent years, Porter’s production has been a breath of fresh air. He looks like he could become a shutdown, true No. 1 corner, something that Pittsburgh has desperately needed at the position.
One big thing with Porter that stood out was his constant improvement. His tackling got much better throughout the course of the year, and he continuously improved even when not playing a lot early in the season to become one of the most important defenders on the team. Hopefully, it’s a sign of things to come for Porter.
Biggest Surprise – Eric Rowe
Could have gone with Mason Rudolph here, but I’m taking Rowe for the fact that he wasn’t even on a team until Pittsburgh signed him to the practice squad before Week 12. Rowe was elevated off the practice squad and started each of the Steelers’ final three regular-season games and their Wild Card Round loss against the Buffalo Bills, intercepting a pass in Week 16 and forcing a game-changing fumble in Week 18.
Rowe was released from the Carolina Panthers practice squad on Sept. 19 — after being cut by the Miami Dolphins before final roster cuts — before Pittsburgh signed him on Nov. 20. He was able to solidify a safety position in desperate need of help after injuries to Minkah Fitzpatrick and Trenton Thompson along with Damontae Kazee’s suspension. I don’t think anyone expected the level of play that Rowe gave the Steelers, and it’s fair to question whether they would’ve been able to make the playoffs without his production.
Rudolph was awesome over the last three games, but he at least knew the system. While his performance was undoubtedly a surprise, I was a little bit more shocked by just how much Rowe jumped out, particularly in the regular season, so I’m going to give him the nod here.
Biggest Disappointment – Kenny Pickett
Tough to go with anyone else here. Pickett never took the second-year jump the Steelers were expecting, continuing to make mistakes that an inexperienced quarterback does. Spinning into pressure, not fully going through his progressions, and he had accuracy issues crop up on top of that.
Especially after his preseason performance, where he looked like an entirely different quarterback, the struggles as soon as the regular season hit were disappointing and costly to a team expecting so much more out of him. He only got a game and a half before injuring his ankle after Matt Canada was let go as offensive coordinator, and maybe in some alternate timeline, he stays healthy, turns his season around and isn’t on this list. But that’s wishful thinking, and what we saw out of Pickett this season wasn’t pretty.
The 2024 season is going to be it for Pickett if he can’t turn things around. He didn’t give himself any leeway, and the Steelers might give him a legitimate quarterback competition in training camp and the preseason. He hasn’t performed like this team’s quarterback of the future, and we’ll see if he can ever be that guy going forward.
Most Underrated – Diontae Johnson
I’m sure I’m going to get flak for this selection, but Johnson is a vital piece to Pittsburgh’s offense, and he showed why this season. When he was out with a hamstring injury, the Steelers offense really struggled with George Pickens as the only reliable weapon in the passing game. Even if Pickens has surpassed Johnson by now as the team’s WR1, Johnson had some really solid performances in must-win games for Pittsburgh upon his return.
He had five catches for 79 yards in Week Sevena against the Los Angeles Rams, a narrow Steelers win. He followed that up with eight catches for 85 yards and seven catches for 90 yards in the ensuing two games. In Pittsburgh’s final two regular-season games, he combined for eight catches for 165 yards and a touchdown.
There’s a large portion of Pittsburgh’s fan base who thinks the team should just cut ties with Johnson. And sure, he’s made some mistakes. But he’s largely overcome the drop issues that hve plagued him, although I do admit his drop on the opening play against Jacksonville was bad. His effort on Jaylen Warren’s fumble in Week 12 was deservedly criticized but he owned up to his mistake, and the Steelers are a better team with Johnson and Pickens in the fold. I think he’s underrated by this fan base more than anywhere, and I think he put together a solid season when he was healthy.
Better quarterback play is also going to help Johnson elevate his game. While there’s no guarantee he gets that, he’s still a very good receiver that is an asset to this team.
Play of the Year – T.J. Watt’s Interception
In the context of the season, you can point to George Pickens’ 86-yard touchdown in Week 16 as being a spark or Diontae Johnson’s 71-yard touchdown in Week 18 were big plays that “saved the season.” But with just 17 games, every game is important when it comes to making the playoffs, and the Steelers probably don’t beat the Los Angeles Rams in Week Seven if Watt doesn’t pick off Matthew Stafford early in the third quarter.
It was an incredible read and play from an incredible player, Watt showing he’s more than just a pass rusher and that he can impact the game no matter where he is on the field. Just an awesome play that helped Pittsburgh eke out a victory over a talented Rams team that stands out as one of the best plays of Watt’s career.
Coach of the Year – Inside Linebackers Coach Aaron Curry
Pittsburgh completely remade its inside linebacker room before the 2023 season, and going the veteran route was a little bit scary given how poor the Steelers’ inside linebacker play had been in 2021 and 2022. But Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander and Elandon Roberts were an awesome trio. And after Holcomb and Alexander suffered season-ending injuries in back-to-back weeks, a makeshift group that included expanded playing time for Mark Robinson and adding Myles Jack to hold down the fort helped the Steelers make the playoffs.
The production out of the starting trio alone would Curry get consideration. Seeing the group of essentially practice squad fill-ins, particularly Jack, play well enough to help the Steelers win down the stretch while also coaxing some of the best play of Roberts’ career out of him gives Curry the nod here.
2024 Player to Watch – Keeanu Benton
Benton flashed as a rookie, and while he only had one sack, I think more will come next season. As he gets the opportunity to take on a larger role and expand his pass-rush arsenal, Benton could become another in the long line of great Steelers defensive linemen. Another season getting mentored by Cameron Heyward certainly will help, and Benton is going to see more snaps next season.
He had 36 tackles, 16 solo, along with eight quarterback hits and the sack. I’m anticipating a big second-year jump from Benton, who I think can become one of the best defensive linemen in the league.
Best Addition – Elandon Roberts
The only one of Pittsburgh’s inside linebacker signings to finish the season on the field, Roberts played through injuries and had one of the best seasons of his career. A leader in the locker room, Roberts also finished with 68 solo tackles, 2.5 sacks, 10 tackles for a loss and two passes defensed in the regular season. He really embodied what it means to be a Steeler with his attitude and effort playing through various injuries.
I’m excited to see Roberts come back next season and help lead the inside linebacker room yet again.
Most Notable Storyline – Matt Canada’s Firing
Something had to change after Pittsburgh’s Week 11 loss to the Cleveland Browns with players fighting in the locker room and a lifeless offense. Canada’s firing was unexpected and honestly shocking given it’s not the way that Pittsburgh usually does business. But the change was a welcome one, and the Steelers offense did find a way to look better in Week 12 and then again with Mason Rudolph starting in Weeks 16-18.
Fire Canada was a trending topic around Pittsburgh almost every week but it just never seemed like it was something that the Steelers would do in-season. When it happened, it became the story of the week in the NFL and something that will undoubtedly be looked back upon when reviewing the 2023 season. This team produced of storylines this season, but the Canada firing was the biggest.
Most Missed – Cameron Sutton
Some other names could fit here. Cameron Heyward missed significant time with a groin injury and Cole Holcomb was playing some of the best ball of his career before tearing his ACL in Week Nine. But the Steelers could’ve used some depth at corner this season, and Sutton would’ve been nice to have.
Early in the year, both Patrick Peterson and Levi Wallace struggled mightily, and while Peterson did turn it around a little bit, the Steelers never had a truly reliable option next to Joey Porter Jr., especially after Peterson moved to safety out of necessity late in the year.
Guys like Wallace and James Pierre were fine, but they weren’t anything special during that period, and Sutton would’ve been a step above them. I know he struggled at times in Detroit this season, but his versatility was an asset for Pittsburgh, and he would’ve been a good guy to have around and deploy in different spots.
Of course, if Sutton had come back, the team likely wouldn’t have signed Peterson, who was a great mentor for Porter and also showcased some versatility, doing whatever the team needed him to do. But the cornerback room definitely felt like it was lacking at points this year, and Sutton would’ve helped with that.
