Bill Belichick Names 4 Steelers To His First Ever Midseason Team

The Pittsburgh Steelers find themselves sitting pretty nicely at 6-2 heading into their bye week. They are second in the AFC rankings and first in the AFC North. Of course, the Steelers can't waste any time celebrating a good start to the season as their divisional play hasn't even begun yet. The back half of their schedule is largely considered the most difficult in the league, presenting a significant challenge as they aim to maintain their momentum. With several crucial matchups on the horizon, the team understands that staying focused and continuing to improve will be vital for success. 

As the Steelers gear up for the second half of the season, some players are already establishing themselves as frontrunners for All-Pro selections. Their strong performances have not gone unnoticed, and the spotlight is shining brightly on them as they strive to solidify their place among the league's elite.

Former New England Patriots Head Coach Bill Belichick recently highlighted the Steelers on his show, Coach, where he broke down his first-ever midseason All-Pro team. This recognition speaks volumes about the impact of the Steelers' players on the field. Four standout Steelers—Cam Heyward, TJ Watt, Chris Boswell, and Miles Killebrew—made Belichick's prestigious list, showcasing the talent and hard work that have propelled the Steelers to their impressive record. As the team looks to build on this success, the recognition serves as motivation to push even harder during the challenging weeks ahead.

Belichick went on to explain what went into making this team. This selection is designed to mimic the All-Pro choices and serves as Belichick's predictions at this point in the season. He detailed the process involved in building this midseason roster.

"This is a team that we spent a lot of time on and we have looked at the midseason evaluations," Belichick said. "We have taken into consideration some injury situations. Some guys had some very productive seasons at this point in time, so that’s what we valued it on."

The two most obvious choices for Belichick regarding the Steelers players who made his midseason team were undoubtedly Heyward and Watt. Belichick is impressed by how dominant Heyward has been during the 2024 season, especially considering his age. After fans suggested that he was done and needed to take a pay cut, Heyward entered the offseason with plenty of extra motivation.

Just before the start of the 2024 season, Heyward received an extension, leading many to question whether it was the right decision. However, through the first eight weeks of the season, he has proven to be one of the best players at his position in the league. Belichick is amazed, noting that Heyward just keeps getting better.

Watt, of course, stole the spotlight when Belichick discussed the outside linebacker position. Belichick emphasized that any conversation about the position must start with Watt, highlighting his impact and importance to the Steelers' defense.

"I think the conversation really starts with TJ Watt," Belichick said. "TJ does a tremendous job of pass rushing off the edge, but he’s also very good at knocking the ball off. He causes fumbles, he recovers fumbles, he’s got great awareness."

While the Steelers' offense has shown significant improvement in the 2024 season, they’ve still relied heavily on Boswell. Steeler Nation has always appreciated Boswell, and he’s having another incredible season, something Belichick was quick to recognize. 

Boswell has made 23 of 24 field goal attempts and has been perfect on extra points, racking up crucial points for the Steelers as he has throughout his career, a role he’ll continue to fill until he retires.

Killebrew was another special teams standout named by Belichick. Killebrew has been a valuable Steeler, emerging as the Steelers’ ace on special teams and playing a major role in the unit’s success. His contributions have been instrumental to the group’s effectiveness this season, solidifying his reputation as a key player on special teams.

Steelers' DeShon Elliott Has Played Well Above His Expectations

While it’s still midseason and Belichick’s list is simply a personal assessment, it’s exciting to see which Steelers have caught his attention. As the season progresses, safety DeShon Elliott is another Steelers player to watch as a potential All-Pro candidate. 

He’s been one of the Steelers’ best offseason additions in 2024 and has been a relentless force on the field. If he keeps up this level of play, Elliott could emerge as a strong, under-the-radar contender for All-Pro honors.

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