The post-season accolades are starting to roll in for Pittsburgh Steelers’ team captain and star defensive lineman Cameron Heyward.
Heyward, who signed a two-year extension with the Steelers prior to the start of the 2024 season after enduring an injury-marred 2023 season that had people questioning his age and effectiveness, put up a terrific season from start to finish. In the process, Heyward earned a Professional Football Writers of America first-team All-NFL accolade Monday, as voted on by writers who cover the 32 NFL teams daily.
Along with Heyward, kicker Chris Boswell earned first-team All-NFL honors for his near-record-setting season in which he booted 41 field goals on 44 attempts, becoming the first Steelers’ kicker to ever lead the NFL in scoring.
Also on the first-team list was linebacker T.J. Watt, who led the NFL in forced fumbles with six on the season and had 11.5 sacks on the season. Previously, Watt was a second-team All-Pro from the Associated Press. Heyward and Boswell both previously earned first-team All-Pro accolades from the AP.
The Professional Football Writers of America (PFWA), which completed its 61st season of existence, is the official voice of pro football writers, promoting and fighting for access to NFL personnel to best serve the public, according to the PFWA website. The PFWA is made up of accredited writers who cover the NFL and the 32 teams daily.
After securing his contract extension before the start of the season that gave him the chance to remain a one-helmet guy, Heyward went out and proved the doubters wrong, turning back the clock in a major way for the Black and Gold.
Heyward finished with 71 tackles, 8 sacks, 12 tackles for loss, 11 passes defensed and 56 pressures on the season, finishing as the No. 1 defensive lineman graded by Pro Football Focus in 2024 at 90.3 overall.
Heyward’s 8 sacks helped him put up a historic season for an interior defensive lineman aged 35 years or older. Those 8 sacks are second-most ever by a defensive tackle his age or older, trailing only Hall of Famer Steve McMichael’s 10.5 in 1992.
Along with his 8 sacks, Heyward continued to show off his great power throughout the season, dominating against the run. He was an immovable object in the middle of the Steelers’ defense, one that controlled the line of scrimmage over and over again. He was a menace at the line of scrimmage, getting his hands up in throwing lanes and batting down 11 passes, which is an absurd number for a defensive lineman.
Boswell put together the finest year of his career and beat out Dallas kicker Brandon Aubrey for the top spot at kicker from the PFWA. He drilled 41 field goals on the season and connected on 13 field goals from at least 50 yards. He missed just three kicks all season. Of those misses, one was blocked, one was from 58 yards and the other was from 62 yards.
Talk about a consistent year.
Then, there’s Watt. He had a down year from his standards, but he still found a way to impact games, punching the football out time and time again, leading the NFL in forced fumbles on the season with six.
He had just 11.5 sacks and 53 pressures, but he was sound against the run. He did disappear down the stretch though after suffering an ankle injury against the Philadelphia Eagles, putting up back-to-back games in Week 18 and the AFC Wild Card Round loss without a single registered stat.
Still, he was good enough throughout the season to give opposing offenses headaches and cause them to change their game plans to try and take him away, helping him earn PFWA All-NFL honors.
Heyward, Watt and Boswell were also voted to the PFWA’s All-AFC team, though no other Steelers joined them.
