NFL Team Captains 2021: Pittsburgh Steelers

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

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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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About the author

Bethany Cohen is an NFL writer at Sportskeeda, with a rich prior 15-year experience in the sports writing industry, primarily covering the MLB and MiLB. She majored in Communications from the University of South Florida and has previously worked for top companies such as Examiner.com and Legends on Deck.

Bethany owes her NFL allegiance to the Pittsburgh Steelers owing to their long-standing tradition and competitiveness. She is a fan of old stalwarts such as Terry Bradshaw and Franco Harris and would love to watch them in the 1970s if she manages to get her hand on a time machine. She also acknowledges the greatness of modern icons like T.J. Watt for his desire to continuously improve despite being on top. She admires coaches Mike Tomlin and Andy Reid for their longevity and success.

The ace reporter credits her knowledge and love for the sport to be her biggest reporting strengths. Prior fact-checking is a big component of her process and she always scours through additional sources to ensure complete accuracy in her content.

Super Bowl XLIII, when the Steelers won the the grand prize after Santonio Holmes’ epic catch in the end zone with just seconds left on the clock is etched in Bethany’s memory forever. When she is free of her professional commitments, she likes to attend sports events and music concerts.

Know More

Steelers Fans! Check out the latest Pittsburgh Steelers Schedule and dive into the Steelers Depth Chart for NFL Season 2024-25.

Edited by Henno van Deventer