Some Of The Steelers' Top Players Will Be Missing Out On A Pro Bowl Selection After Skewed Voting In 2025

The Pittsburgh Steelers have had an up and down year in 2025, but the group has consistently had some great players making big time plays to help the team get to where it is at. Usually, teams' best players are denoted by those individuals finding their way to the Pro Bowl, but Pittsburgh has some players missing out on that honor for the 2025 season.

The Pro Bowl is not what it used to be, but players still would like to be recognized by being voted onto their conference's roster. Some players even have incentives within their contracts that is related to being voted onto the Pro Bowl roster. The teams for the 2026 Pro Bowl Games dropped on Tuesday, and the Steelers had three players voted onto the AFC squad. Outside linebacker TJ Watt, safety Jalen Ramsey, and special teamer Ben Skowronek all made it.

Notable snubs for the Steelers come on the defensive side of the ball as Cam Heyward certainly should have made the team, and Joey Porter Jr. has a strong case as well. 

Heyward has been one of the best interior defensive lineman throughout the entire NFL during the 2025 season, but he will not make it to the Pro Bowl in a year that he certainly deserves it. Porter has been a lockdown corner throughout the 2025 season, but he is still known as a defensive back that struggles with penalties, even though that has not been the case in 2025.

Porter missing out on the Pro Bowl is a little understandable, however. The cornerback spot in the AFC is completely loaded as the four cornerbacks who made it over Porter included Derek Stingley Jr., Denzel Ward, Pat Surtain II, and Christian Gonzalez.

Steelers' Snubs Can Still Make The Pro Bowl

Every single season, there are players that opt out of the Pro Bowl, and the NFL also has to fill the spots of the players who would have to play in the Super Bowl. Hopefully that is the Steelers at the end of the 2025 season, but if it isn't, a few players in Pittsburgh have a shot of making the Pro Bowl as a replacement. This would include Heyward and Porter, and it should also include inside linebacker Patrick Queen. Other players that should have a shot are center Zach Frazier, quarterback Aaron Rodgers, and right tackle Troy Fautanu. DK Metcalf could also have a shot, but it shouldn't be considered likely due to recent events.

The opt outs for the Pro Bowl have been crazy lately, which is how Russell Wilson was able to get on the roster in 2025. Anything could happen, and all players mentioned could end up in San Francisco for the event.

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