Pittsburgh Steelers players will soon vote on their team MVP for the 2022 season. Which player is most deserving of this title?
It’s that time of year again. As 2022 comes to a close and a new year is on the horizon, Pittsburgh Steelers players will be voting for their team’s Most Valuable Player based on their 2022 season. This is a time-honored tradition dating all the way back to 1969 when wide receiver Roy Jefferson first won this award. However, this probably won’t be the player we all expected to begin the year.
T.J. Watt earned Steelers MVP honors in three straight years for his outstanding efforts in 2019, 2020, and 2021. Last year, Watt was named as the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year after tying Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record.
Unforuatntly for Pittsburgh, Watt missed half the season with a pectoral injury and arthroscopic knee surgery. Upon his return, the three-time First-Team All-Pro has been dealing with a rib injury that he has played through.
Watt’s unfortunate situation makes things very interesting when it comes to the Steelers MVP voting in 2022. I believe there are three legitimate contenders on the list.
Who will win Steelers MVP in 2022?
I want to give props to Cameron Heyward. The former All-Pro edge defender is still playing quality football at age 33. Heyward has never been the recipient of this award, so it’s possible that his teammates vote him as the team MVP in 2022. However, there are three other candidates I feel should be in contention.
The first is Minkah Fitzpatrick. Minkah has been outstanding in 2022 despite a shaky defensive line and the inability to create consistent pressure. This lack of pressure usually makes the assignment of safeties more difficult, but Fitzpatrick has stepped up to the plate in Watt’s absence for arguably the best season of his career.
My next candidate would be Alex Highsmith. Despite not having Watt taking pressure off him for half the season, Highsmith is having a breakout year. He’s among the NFL leaders in sacks and has been an incredibly solid all-around player. He deserves to land some Steelers MVP votes this year.
The third candidate for me would be tight end, Pat Freiermuth. Despite missing time with a concussion earlier in the year, Freriermuth has graded out as one of the very best tight ends in the NFL this year. He’s also been Pittsburgh’s most consistent receiving option and perhaps even the most consistent player on the team outside of Fitzpatrick. Freiermuth is having a breakout year and has the makings of a stud tight end.
If I were voting, however, I would have to cast my vote for Minkah Fitzpatrick. I think he has been a tremendous staple to this team and is having another All-Pro season despite inconsistent performances around him.
Pittsburgh has several strong candidates for Steelers MVP this year, and it will be interesting to see what the players ultimately decide. Let us know who you would cast your vote for this year in the comments!