NFL insiders fuel Steelers All-Pro with NFL quarter century roster snub

When ESPN insiders Aaron Schatz and Seth Walder unveiled their NFL All-Quarter Century 53-man roster, one omission jumped off the page — T.J. Watt. Somehow, the Pittsburgh Steelers’ superstar edge rusher didn’t make the cut.

Frankly, it feels like the ultimate snub.

Let’s get one thing straight: the Steelers currently roster the best edge rusher in the league. So when I saw names like Myles Garrett, Julius Peppers, and Jared Allen listed instead of Watt, I immediately had questions.

Sure, Peppers and Allen are Hall of Famers and deserve their flowers — their careers were nothing short of elite. But T.J. Watt isn’t just following in their footsteps — he’s sprinting past them.

Since entering the league in 2017, Watt has racked up 108 sacks and 33 forced fumbles. For context, Allen had 32 forced fumbles over his entire career.

Peppers notched 159.5 sacks in total — just 51 more than Watt, and he did it in 17 seasons. Watt is in year eight and still in his prime.

Do the math.

The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a motivated T.J Watt to play behind in 2025

Then there’s Garrett, another name who somehow beat out Watt on this list. Garrett’s an elite player, no question — but the numbers don’t lie. Watt has more sacks (108 to 102.5), more forced fumbles (33 to 20), and more All-Pro selections (4 to Garrett’s 2).

If you’re picking the best edge rushers since 2000, Watt must be there. Period.

What makes this omission even more frustrating is the dominance Watt has demonstrated as both a player and a leader. He’s carried the Steelers’ defense on his back in recent seasons, often keeping the team competitive when the offense sputtered.

He’s not just racking up stats — he’s defining games.

Yes, the Steelers still need to negotiate an extension with him, but that’s another discussion. Watt has already earned the right to be recognized among the greats — not ignored in favor of legacy picks or flashier names.

Leaving him off this roster isn’t just a snub — it’s disrespectful. But if I know T.J. Watt, he’ll use it the way he uses everything else — as fuel. And with a pivotal 2025 season ahead, the rest of the league should be very worried.