Steelers' Cameron Heyward, Chris Boswell earn first-team All-Pro honors

Cameron Heyward continues to show that at age 35, he remains one of the NFL’s top defensive linemen. And, at 33, Chris Boswell has emerged as the league’s most reliable kicker.

Two of the elder statesmen on the Pittsburgh Steelers roster were rewarded Friday for their work this season when Heyward and Boswell were named to the Associated Press All-Pro first team. It is the fourth first-team honor for Heyward and first time in three seasons. Boswell was named to the All-Pro team for the first time.

Outside linebacker T.J. Watt was named second-team All-Pro. He had been a four-time first-team selection, including last season when he was runner-up for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award.

Heyward rebounded from a season in which he was limited to 11 games by injury to starting all 17 for the season in 2024. He finished with eight sacks and a career-high 11 passes batted down at the line of scrimmage. Heyward previously was named first-team All-Pro in 2017, 2019 and 2021. He also was named to the Pro Bowl roster for the seventh time in his career.

Boswell was a Pro Bowl selection for the second time. He had his finest season, converting an NFL-high 41 field goals in 44 attempts. Boswell also connected on 13 field goals in 15 attempts from beyond 50 yards. His previous career high in a season was eight.

Boswell also was perfect on 35 extra-point attempts.

A late-season slump caused Watt to miss the first team for a fifth time. Watt totaled 11 sacks and led the NFL with six forced fumbles, but he did not have a sack in each of the final three games of the season, and he was held without one in four of the final five games.