of 48 receptions for 672 yards and 4 touchdowns. 2001 season On September 8, 2001, Ward was signed to a four-year, $9.5 million contract extension. In his first year under new offensive coordinator Mike Mularkey, Ward had his best season of his career to that point. While starting in the season opener at Jacksonville, he made 7 catches for 82 receiving yards. In their second game against the Jaguars in Week 10, Ward came away with 9 receptions for 112 yards and scored a 28-yard touchdown in a 20–7 victory. This also marked his first game with over 100 receiving yards in his career. On December 9, 2001, against the New York Jets, Ward accumulated a season-high 10 catches for 124 receiving yards. He played in his first playoff game of his career in 2001, making 3 receptions for 37 yards in a 27–10 divisional win over the Ravens. The next week, as the Steelers played the New England Patriots, he caught 6 passes for 64 receiving yards in a 17–24 loss to the eventual Super Bowl XXXVI Champions. 2001 marked his first season with 16 starts and over 1,000 receiving yards, as he finished with 94 catches for 1,003 receiving yards and 4 touchdown catches. Along with Jerome Bettis, Kordell Stewart, Alan Faneca, Jason Gildon, and Kendrell Bell, he was voted to the 2001 Pro Bowl, making it the first of his career. 2002 season During the 2002 season opener, he had eight catches for 90 yards and a touchdown, in an AFC Championship rematch against the Patriots. The next game, he caught 7 passes for 92 receiving yards and 2 touchdowns in a 17–30 loss to the Oakland Raiders. It was his first game with more than a single touchdown in his career. During a Week 5 matchup at New Orleans, Ward made 5 receptions for 45 yards and caught his first touchdown reception from new quarterback Tommy Maddox. On November 10, 2002, Ward had his best game of the season, making a season-high 11 receptions, 139 receiving yards, and a touchdown during a 34–34 tie with the Atlanta Falcons. The following week, he caught 10 passes for a season-high 168 receiving yards and caught 2 touchdowns in a 23–31 loss to the Titans. It was his third game of the season with 2 touchdown receptions. He continued to dominate the next game against the Bengals, as he