T.J. Watt, Minkah Fitzpatrick to represent Steelers at Pro Bowl Games
A pair of Pittsburgh Steelers were selected for February’s Pro Bowl Games, which will feature a new format.
Outside linebacker T.J. Watt and free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick were named when the rosters were revealed Wednesday. The voting system featured equal input from fans, players and coaches.
Fitzpatrick, the top vote-getter in the AFC for his position, is listed as a starter. Watt came in third place among the conference’s outside linebackers behind New England’s Matt Judon and the Chargers’ Khalil Mack.
It marks the third Pro Bowl selection (2019, ’20, ’22) for Fitzpatrick and second since he joined the Steelers.
Watt, the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year, has been named to the Pro Bowl in five consecutive seasons.
Full rosters for the inaugural Pro Bowl Games: https://t.co/17rUEZxilW
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) December 22, 2022
For the first time, a game of flag football will replace tackle footballon Sunday, Feb. 5, at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nev.
That event will serve as the culmination of a weeklong series of “new challenges where players showcase their football and non-football skills in competitions,” per the release put out by NFL Football Operations in late September.
Hall of Fame quarterback and two-time Super Bowl champion Peyton Manning will coach the AFC, with his brother, Eli, who also won a pair of Super Bowls, coaching the NFC.
The Manning brothers’ involvement in the upcoming Pro Bowl Games is significant.
Omaha Productions, Peyton Manning’s entertainment company that produces the popular “Manningcast” program on ESPN2, featuring casual live commentary of “Monday Night Football” games from the Mannings and notable guests, “will help shape the programming throughout the week.”
The Pro Bowl’s roots in pitting the NFL’s star players from its respective conferences against one another can be traced to 1951, with that format staying consistent for all but four years through 2022.
Briefly, from 2013-15, the Pro Bowl was unconferenced, featuring a fantasy draft format that selected the players for both teams.
As a result of the covid-19 pandemic, the Pro Bowl for the 2020 season was canceled.
Justin Guerriero is a TribLive reporter covering the Penguins, Pirates and college sports. A Pittsburgh native, he is a Central Catholic and University of Colorado graduate. He joined the Trib in 2022 after covering the Colorado Buffaloes for Rivals and freelancing for the Denver Post. He can be reached at jguerriero@triblive.com.
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