The Pittsburgh Steelers begin a new chapter in their storied rivalry with the Cleveland Browns as we enter an abbreviated Week 12 that will end in a Thursday Night Football showdown — and star pass rushers T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett should play a very large role in this one.
Of course, the Watt-Garrett rivalry has a history of its own. Although the two defenders will never match up mano a mano, due to the nature of the sport, they do typically go head-to-head in the conversation for Defensive Player of the Year (DPOY).
Last year, for example, Watt and his brother — J.J. Watt — appeared to take issue with the decision to award the 2023 DPOY to Garrett. “Nothing I’m not used to,” the Steelers star said on X at the time, while J.J. Watt used a long list of statistics to question the choice.
On November 19, Garrett finally addressed the Watt family’s social media reaction to him winning the award, and let’s just say he made his opinion known.
“I’ve never complained about the trophy not being at my house,” Garrett told reporters with a sly smirk, days before the Week 12 rematch. “Vice versa. He shouldn’t be feeling two ways about it going to me.”
“So, I’m just going to play the game,” the Browns game wrecker continued. “I don’t play against T.J., he doesn’t play against me, but we’ll have a plan to go out and do what we’re supposed to, win the game and dominate on defense.”
Browns’ Myles Garrett Appears to Challenge Steelers’ T.J. Watt to Beat Him Out for 2024 DPOY
Garrett ended his Q&A response with a bit of a challenge for T.J. Watt on November 19.
“It’s up for grabs this year and we’ll see the best man win,” he said, regarding the 2024 DPOY.
Pro Football Reference has credited Garrett with 7.0 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, 10 tackles for a loss, 15 QB hits and 28 total pressures in 2024. While Watt currently has 7.5 sacks, 4 forced fumbles, 12 tackles for a loss, 18 QB hits and 20 total pressures.
“He’s playing some great ball, they are as a unit,” Garrett complimented, during the media session. “It’s not just him, but he leads that front — what he does, the energy that he brings — and obviously they take on his and [Cameron] Heyward’s mentality.”
On the flip side, a pissed off Garrett also presents as scary a matchup as there has been all season for quarterback Russell Wilson and offensive tackles Dan Moore Jr. and Broderick Jones.
These are two legendary defenders in their prime, and it’ll be fun to see how they try and top one another on Thursday. As for any personal accolades, if the AFC DPOY comes down to these two once again, it’s currently anybody’s race.
Browns’ Myles Garrett Says He & Steelers’ T.J. Watt Have Respect for One Another, But Aren’t Necessarily ‘Friends’
Garrett was willing to admit that his rivalry with Watt and the Steelers motivates him as a player. Having said that, he was very quick to correct a reporter that called the pair of rival defenders “friends” later in the press conference.
“I mean, I wouldn’t say we’re friends,” Garrett replied, when asked if their social media reaction changed how he views them. “I would say we’re friendly and I have a respect for him and his brother. They’ve both been great figures and advocates for this game.”
“But it doesn’t really change anything,” he went on, finally answering the question. “But we’ll see what happens on Thursday.”
Garrett did jokingly note that he expects and apology from Watt when he sees him in person. He also confirmed that the two have not communicated in any way since the Steelers star reacted to his DPOY win.
