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The Pittsburgh Steelers announced their team captains for the 2021 NFL season. Naming a player as a team captain shows that their teammates believe that they are a leader and someone who represents the team well on and off the field. Or as Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin would say, they "Set The Standard" of what it means to be a part of the Pittsburgh Steelers organization.
This season there will be three captains, one offensive player, one defensive player and one special teams player is how the Steelers decided to go about it. Three is the fewest number of team captains that the Pittsburgh Steelers have had since 2017.
Pittsburgh Steelers 2021 Team Captains
QB Ben Roethlisberger
Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is entering his 18th season in the NFL and this is the 13th time being named a captain, which includes an impressive 11 consecutive seasons of being given the honor.
Roethlisberger is a two-time Super Bowl champion and seven-time Pro Bowler. At 39 years old, Roethlisberger is returning to what could possibly be his last NFL season. He was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first-round of the 2004 NFL Draft out of Miami-Ohio, and made his NFL debut in Week 2 of his rookie year.
DE Cameron Heyward
Defensive end Cameron Heyward was drafted by the Pittsburgh Steelers in the first-round of the 2011 NFL Draft, and is now entering his 11th NFL season with the team. This is his seventh consecutive season being named a captain.
Heyward, a true leader on the defensive side of the ball, signed a four-year contract extension with the Pittsburgh Steelers before the start of the 2020 NFL season. He has led the Steelers defense to be one of the toughest in the National Football League.
FB Derek Watt
The 2021 NFL season will be the first time that Derek Watt has been named a captain. Watt, a full-back and special teams specialist, signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers in March 2020.
Derek Watt was originally drafted by the then San Diego Chargers in the sixth-round of the 2016 NFL Draft out of Wisconsin. Watt's skill as a blocker is what makes him such a valuable member of the special teams. Entering just his second season with the Steelers, it is a big accomplishment to already be named a team captain by his peers.
Last season, Derek Watt's brother, Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt, was also named as captain.
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