The first half of the 2023 season has been a wild one for the Pittsburgh Steelers. The defense has been great, the offense has been inconsistent and the wins are coming from unusual places. Since the team is on something of a mini bye week here at the midway point of the year we decided to update our Steelers superlatives, mid-season edition.
Team MVP - EDGE T.J. Watt
EDGE T.J. Watt is once again the guy who powers this defense. Watt leads the team with 9.5 sacks and is on pace for another 20-sack season.
Offensive player of the year - RB Jaylen Warren
Props to Warren for elevating his game yet again this season and working his way into more playing time. Warren has 472 yards of offense in eight games and is averaging 5.6 yards per touch.
Defenisve player of the year - EDGE Alex Highsmith
If we exclude Watt for being team MVP, his running mate Alex Highsmith gets the nod here. 4.5 sacks, 29 tackles, an interception, a defensive touchdown and two forced fumbles is a season most teams would love from their top defender and Highsmith is No. 2.
Offensive rookie of the year - OT Broderick Jones
The sky is the limit for Broderick Jones after seeing how well he played last week at right tackle. It will be a disservice to him if he doesn’t stay in the starting lineup for the rest of the season.
Defensive rookie of the year - CB Joey Porter Jr.
Like Jones, Porter has shined when given opportunities and should see himself in the starting lineup for the remainder of the year.
Coach of the year - ILB Coach Aaron Curry
Aaron Curry was brought in back in February to help rebuild the inside linebacker unit with all new players. This unit hasn’t been known to splash plays for several seasons but Curry has done well with three new veterans getting them coached up and maximizing their skills.
