It's hard to read too deeply into September football. From now until January, things are going to change drastically, as players begin to take off and teams find their sea legs. Still, it's hard not to be pleased with what we have seen from the Pittsburgh Steelers early in the season.
The front office did an outstanding job patching most of Pittsburgh's roster holes, but the Steelers couldn't be where they are entering Week 4 without a few spectacular pieces in the organization. These three Steelers deserve to be in the NFL award conversation already.
T.J. Watt: Defensive Player of the Year
T.J. Watt has been one of the best players in the NFL since his second season in the league in 2018, and that's not changing anytime soon. While the Steelers star turns 30 years old in October, he's playing as well as he ever has.
Watt's production should be even better through the first three games of the season. He had two strip sacks called back in Week 1 due to penalties. Somehow he still managed to collect a sack in each game so far and has drawn the attention of every opposing offense.
Watt was the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year and finished as a runner-up to Myles Garrett last year. The future Hall of Famer has been every bit impressive enough to earn his second DPOY honors. Other defensive stars like Aidan Hutchinson and Micah Parsons will be in the running, but Watt is already in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation once again.
Mike Tomlin: Coach of the Year
It's impossible to argue against the remarkable job Kevin O'Connell has done in Minnesota. The Vikings head coach lost quarterback Kirk Cousins in free agency and rookie first-round pick J.J. McCarthy landed on IR with a season-ending injury in training camp. Yet O'Connell has turned Sam Darnold into a phenom through the first three games.
Despite the impressive coaching from O'Connell and others like Seahawks' Mike McDonald and Chargers' Jim Harbaugh, Mike Tomlin should be firmly in the running for Coach of the Year.
Tomlin has executed his game plan to a tee -- playing mistake-free football with the league-best defense. This brilliant execution has led Pittsburgh to a 3-0 record early in the season. If this continues, Tomlin's chances of earning the Coach of the Year award will increase as the season goes on.
Justin Fields: Comeback Player of the Year
If Aaron Rodgers and Sam Darnold keep playing the way they have recently, one of these two quarterbacks seems destined to be the Comeback Player of the Year in 2024. Even players like Joe Burrow, Kirk Cousins, and J.K. Dobbins could sneak into the conversation. But the NFL shouldn't forget about Justin Fields.
Fields received a change of scenery after three years in Chicago. In 2023, he suited up for 13 games -- passing for 2,562 yards with 16 touchdowns and 9 interceptions en route to a 5-8 record as a starter. While the Steelers' quarterback won't put up elite production this year, Fields will warrant strong consideration if Pittsburgh continues to win football games.
His chances of winning this award will derail if Russell Wilson sees the field for any period of time. Early in the season, however, there's no question that Justin Fields should be in the conversation for Comeback Player of the Year.