Each member of the Steelers Depot staff is casting their ballots for the 2023 end-of-season Steelers awards. Alex Kozora, Joe Clark, Ross McCorkle, and Matthew Marczi kicked things off with their awards ballots featuring a number of recognitions, including Offensive and Defensive MVP, Coach of the Year, 2024 Player to Watch, and more.
Here are my selections for the Steelers’ 2023 Awards.
OFFENSIVE MVP – JAYLEN WARREN, RB
No other choice is truly possible here. Sure, a case could be made for Najee Harris, but without Jaylen Warren early on in the 2023 season, who knows where the Steelers’ offense is at? Warren was incredible for the Steelers, totaling 1,154 yards and four touchdowns on just 210 touches. A bowling ball with legs, Warren embodied exactly what it means to be a Steelers’ running back, fighting tooth and nail for every single blade of grass, refusing to go down on first contact.
He was an explosive player with the ball in his hands, generating a bunch of splash plays for the Steelers offense, carrying them at times in the middle of the season. Warren is also a great pass protector, one that dishes out punishment in that role. He formed a tremendous 1-2 punch with Harris all season long and really gave the Steelers an identity offensively late in the season, creating serious excitement for the future.
DEFENSIVE MVP – T.J. WATT, OLB
Much like the offensive MVP, there is no other possible choice for Defensive MVP in Pittsburgh. It’s Trent Jordan Watt. He should be the NFL’s Defensive MVP (Player of the Year), too, but league politics might get in the way. Watt generated 19 sacks, 36 quarterback hits, 86 pressures, four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception, and one touchdown on the season. He was a true game-wrecker.
His 19 sacks were the second time he’s hit that number in his career, making him just the fourth defensive player in NFL history to achieve that feat. Week after week, Watt showed up in a big way, helping the Steelers’ defense play at a solid level while the offense figured things out. If you need more reason that he’s the Defensive MVP, look at the Wild Card loss to the Bills, which Watt missed with a knee injury. He’s the key piece.
Always has been.
ROOKIE OF THE YEAR – JOEY PORTER JR., CB
Finally, the Steelers appear to have hit on a cornerback in the draft process. It just took them a few years before landing a legacy player in franchise history.
Porter stepped into the starting lineup in Week Eight against the Jacksonville Jaguars and quickly developed into a true, No. 1 lockdown cornerback, taking on the top assignments weekly and more than handling his own. In matchups against some big-name receivers like DeAndre Hopkins, Amari Cooper, Ja’Marr Chase, Stefon Diggs, Calvin Ridley, and Tee Higgins, only D.K. Metcalf went for over 40 yards receiving against him.
Tackling was an issue early on, but Porter cleaned that up. Now he needs to clean up the penalty issues. He has the makings of a star cornerback in the NFL.
BIGGEST SURPRISE – NICK HERBIG, OLB
When the Steelers selected Herbig in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft, it’s safe to say I was quite skeptical despite the college production. The size was the real concern. Back then, I wondered if they’d be better off moving him inside off the ball due to his size and lack of length. Boy, was I wrong?
Herbig burst onto the scene as a talented pass rusher right away in the preseason and then carried that into the regular season, generating three sacks and two forced fumbles in just 191 defensive snaps. His production was quite remarkable, as was his pass rush skillset. He has the speed and flexibility to bend the edge against anyone and showed good hand usage.
He really developed into an impressive backup outside linebacker behind Watt and Alex Highsmith.
BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENT – KENNY PICKETT, QB
Entering the season, expectations were sky-high. Then, Pickett came crashing back to Earth. I was a believer after the preseason and training camp. Pickett looked rather strong and was playing with impressive confidence. That all disappeared in the regular season. Accuracy betrayed him, confidence was shot, and there was very little aggressiveness that he showed in training camp.
His pocket presence was a nightmare, too. It was a disaster of a second season for Pickett. There’s no sugar-coating it.
He simply didn’t look like a franchise quarterback and didn’t inspire confidence from a leadership standpoint. Hard to recall a time where the pendulum swung so hard in one direction — and a negative one — for such a high-profile player on the field like it did for Pickett in 2023.
MOST UNDERRATED – ALEX HIGHSMITH, OLB
Coming off of a 14.5-sack season in 2022 that led to him getting a four-year, $68 million extension in the summer, Many were expecting Alex Highsmith to take another step forward. He certainly did in 2023, just not from a sacks perspective, which is oddly a way for people to try and qualify a defender’s play.
Highsmith had just 7 sacks in 2023 but was even more disruptive than ever across from T.J. Watt. Highsmith was a top 10 EDGE defender in football from Pro Football Focus, had 69 pressures, and was a real force for the Steelers, adding two interceptions and a pick-6. He was a complete player for Pittsburgh all season long.
PLAY OF THE YEAR – GEORGE PICKENS’ 86-YARD TD AGAINST BENGALS
Chances are, you’ve probably read about this play a ton so far, so I won’t bore you too much with my reasoning.
Coming off of the dreadful three-game losing streak that seemingly sunk the Steelers and had them turn to Mason Rudolph as the starting quarterback, it’s understandable how many felt going into the Week 16 matchup against the Cincinnati Bengals. Heck, I was feeling down and felt the Steelers had no real shot against the Bengals.
Then, Rudolph hit Pickens on a slant on the second play from scrimmage, and Pickens did the rest. Just like that, new life was breathed back into the franchise. That play ignited a wild 34-11 win over the Bengals, sent the Steelers on a three-game winning streak, and punched their ticket to the playoffs.
COACH OF THE YEAR – ILBS COACH AARON CURRY
In just his first season with the Steelers, inside linebackers coach Aaron Curry was thrown into the fire and came out on the other side even better than expected. The Steelers overhauled the inside linebacker room in the offseason, bringing in Cole Holcomb, Kwon Alexander, and Elandon Roberts in free agency, giving the Steelers three new faces. Curry got them all up to speed and comfortable in the scheme and had them all playing at a high level despite a three-man rotation.
Then, injuries hit. Holcomb and Alexander were lost for the season. Roberts was banged up. Blake Martinez was brought in off the Carolina Panthers practice squad, and Myles Jack was brought out of retirement to the practice squad. Jack ended up playing a major role late in the season, playing well overall. So, too, did Mark Robinson in limited action.
Despite all the injuries, Curry had his guys prepared and playing at a varsity level, which kept the Steelers’ defense relatively intact. Take your hat off and hand it to him.
2024 PLAYER TO WATCH – KEEANU BENTON, DL
Keeanu Benton played just 443 snaps in his rookie season, but they were some impressive snaps overall. Benton showed off a really intriguing pass-rush skill set with a great club/swim move. He really flashed as a pass rusher and had some very eye-opening tape at times. The problem is that the Steelers started to limit his snaps late in the season as the defensive line was healthy.
That meant more Montravius Adams, Cameron Heyward, Armon Watts, and Isaiahh Loudermilk. Less Benton. That can’t happen in 2024, especially after what head coach Mike Tomlin stated in his year-end press conference, stating Benton can be a dominant player, sooner rather than later. Benton needs a full-time role next season. Take the training wheels off. He’s one of the best three defensive linemen on the team.
Play him like it.
BEST ADDITION – ELANDON ROBERTS, ILB
Might be slightly biased here, but I was very high on Elandon Roberts even before the Steelers signed him. I liked him quite a bit coming out of Houston and was bummed to see him land in New England. When he was a free agent in 2020, I wanted him in Pittsburgh. Instead, he landed in Miami. Finally, last offseason he landed in Pittsburgh.
He played quite well, too.
Roberts led the Steelers in tackles and was a downhill force against the run. He had some good moments in coverage, too, but also had his usual struggles. He developed quickly into a defensive leader as well and really became a key figure in the Steelers’ locker room. He should be penciled in as a starter next season, too. A key one.
MOST NOTABLE STORYLINE – QB SITUATION
Late in the season, once he was back to full health, Kenny Pickett found himself in an odd situation in Pittsburgh despite being listed as QB1 on the depth chart: on the bench. Head coach Mike Tomlin often likes to say he believes in players not losing their jobs due to injury, but that’s exactly what happened with Pickett, period.
Make no mistake: Tomlin made the right call sticking with the hot hand in Mason Rudolph. But it was quite odd that he did so over a guy in Pickett that the franchise has publicly backed time and time again as the franchise-caliber guy and the starter.
Now, entering the offseason, Pickett will get a shot at the starting job again, but Tomlin also stated that the Steelers want Rudolph back. Players said the same. So, what’s going to happen in Pittsburgh? They simply can’t run it back with Pickett and Rudolph and have those two battle for the job. They also can’t afford to swing big on a veteran QB like Russell Wilson or Kirk Cousins.
Chances are though, it’s Pickett, Rudolph and a mid-round draft pick battling in camp. Not exactly comforting. The Steelers feel back at square one at the quarterback position.
MOST MISSED – CAMERON HEYWARD, DL
Lost to an injury right away in the season opener that ultimately caused him to miss seven games, the Steelers really struggled along the defensive line without team captain and face of the franchise, Cameron Heyward. Sure, they found a way to get by without him, unlike when they are missing T.J. Watt, but the Steelers’ defense just wasn’t the same, especially against the run.
It was noticeable how much the Steelers’ defense drastically changed once Heyward returned to the lineup in Week Nine against the Tennessee Titans. He might be getting up there in age and really had a tough year from an injury standpoint that slowed him even when he returned to the field, but there is no doubting his impact on opposing offenses simply by putting his hand in the dirt along the Steelers’ defensive line.
