The Pittsburgh Steelers named Najee Harris, Cam Heyward, Miles Killebrew, Mitch Trubisky and T.J. Watt as team captains for the 2022 season on Monday.
Heyward will serve as captain for the eighth consecutive season, while Watt will be captain for the second time. He was also a captain in 2020.
It is the first season as captain for all of the other three. Harris and Trubisky will replace Ben Roethlisberger, who was the team’s lone offensive captain in 2021. Trubisky is the first first-year Steelers player to be named captain under head coach Mike Tomlin and the first quarterback other than Roethlisberger to captain the Steelers since Tommy Maddox in 2004.
Harris is also the first running back to be named captain under Tomlin’s tenure and the first since Jerome Bettis was captain in 2002. Head coach Mike Tomlin said this offseason that he was working on enhancing Harris’ leadership role with the team.
“Right now, a little side project that I’m on is I’m fostering the growth and development of leadership,” Tomlin said on the Pivot Podcast. “I’m bridging the transitional leadership relationship between Cam Heyward and Najee. Like, Najee is a leader. He was a born leader. He’s got good football morals. He sees the game the way we see the game.”
Killebrew is in his second season with the Steelers and will be a team captain for the first time. He replaces Derek Watt, who was the special teams captain in 2021. Kicker Chris Boswell was a captain in 2018.
Tomlin did not address the media after the captaincy announcement. He is scheduled to
STEELERS TEAM CAPTAINS SINCE 1998
2022: QB Mitch Trubisky, RB Najee Harris, DL Cam Heyward, OLB T.J. Watt, ST Miles Killebrew
2021: QB Ben Roethlisberger, DL Cam Heyward, ST Derek Watt
2020: QB Ben Roethlisberger, C Maurkice Pouncey, DE Cam Heyward, OLB T.J. Watt, ST Jordan Dangerfield
2019: QB Ben Roethlisberger, C Maurkice Pouncey, DE Cam Heyward, ST Roosevelt Nix
2018: QB Ben Roethlisberger, C Maurkice Pouncey, DE Cam Heyward, K Chris Boswell
2017: QB Ben Roethlisberger, DE Cam Heyward
2016: QB Ben Roethlisberger, DE Cam Heyward, CB William Gay, ST Robert Golden
2015: QB Ben Roethlisberger, DE Cam Heyward, CB William Gay, ST Robert Golden
2014: QB Ben Roethlisberger, SS Troy Polamalu, ST Robert Golden, K Shaun Suisham
2013: QB Ben Roethlisberger, C Maurkice Pouncey, FS Ryan Clark, DE Brett Keisel
2012: QB Ben Roethlisberger, DE Brett Keisel
2011: QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, ST Arnaz Battle
2010: TE Heath Miller, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, ST Keyaron Fox
2009: QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, OLB James Harrison, ST Keyaron Fox, K Jeff Reed
2008: QB Ben Roethlisberger, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, K Jeff Reed
2007: WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, ST James Harrison, ST Clint Kriewaldt
2006: G Alan Faneca, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, OLB Joey Porter, ST Clint Kriewaldt, ST Sean Morey
2005: G Alan Faneca, WR Hines Ward, ILB James Farrior, OLB Joey Porter, ST Chidi Iwuoma, ST Sean Morey
2004: G Alan Faneca, QB Tommy Maddox, ILB James Farrior, OLB Joey Porter, ST Chidi Iwuoma, ST Clint Kriewaldt
2003: QB Tommy Maddox, OLB Jason Gildon, OLB Joey Porter, ST Clark Haggans
2002: RB Jerome Bettis, OLB Jason Gildon, SS Lee Flowers, ST John Fiala
2001: RB Jerome Bettis, OLB Jason Gildon, ST John Fiala
2000: C Dermontti Dawson, ILB Levon Kirkland, ST John Fiala
1999: C Dermontti Dawson, ILB Levon Kirkland, ST John Fiala, ST Chris Oldham
1998: C Dermontti Dawson, ILB Levon Kirkland, ST Fred McAfee