Though T.J. Watt is still likely to make this year’s Pro Bowl, the sixth of his career, he did not finish as the top vote-getter at his position from the fan portion of the vote. According to the final tallies released by the NFL, the Miami Dolphins Bradley Chubb finished first in fan voting among AFC outside linebackers.
In fact, Watt finished third among AFC outside linebackers and fifth overall, trailing Chubb, the Dallas Cowboys’ Micah Parsons, the Minnesota Vikings’ Danielle Hunter, and the Jacksonville Jaguars’ Josh Allen. Watt was consistently in first place until recently, dropping down the list. Here’s a look at the top 10. Again, this is strictly from the fan vote.
Watt enters the final week of the regular season tied for the NFL lead with 17 sacks with Cincinnati’s Trey Hendrickson. If Watt can end the year on top, he’ll become the first player since sacks became an official statistic in 1982 to lead the league in three years, doing so in 2020 and 2021. It’s worth noting unofficially, Deacon Jones led the NFL in sacks five times throughout his Hall of Fame career. Watt could be aided by facing backup Baltimore Ravens tackles this weekend should the team rest RT Morgan Moses.
From the fan voting perspective, which makes up one third of the votes (coaches and players also vote), only two other Steelers appeared anywhere on the top 10. Long snapper Christian Kuntz finished seventh while special teamer Miles Killebrew also finished seventh in his category.
Per the NFL, the league will combine fan voting with players and coaches votes to determine the actual rosters. From the league:
“Player selections were determined by the consensus votes of fans, players and coaches, with each group’s vote counting as one-third toward determining the all-star players who will be selected to this year’s Pro Bowl Games. The NFL is the only sports league that combines voting by fans, coaches and players to determine its Pro Bowl teams. NFL players and coaches voted on Friday, Dec. 29.”
The NFL will reveal the official Pro Bowl rosters tonight at 8/EST. Watt is expected to be among that list though it’s unclear if any other Steelers will join him in Orlando this February for the 2024 Pro Bowl Games. With two blocked punts, Killebrew is certainly deserving of that special teams slot.
01 03 24 - 2024 Pro Bowl Games Top-10 By Position (Final Fan Voting)
