The Pittsburgh Steelers are known for the countless defensive stars they have rostered throughout the organization's history. They have had dominant defenders throughout every decade, and there is a tradition of greatness on the defensive side of the ball in Pittsburgh. In recent years, the Steelers' defense has been headlined by TJ Watt, Cameron Heyward, and Minkah Fitzpatrick. Before them, there were the legends of Troy Polamalu and James Harrison - who each have two Super Bowl rings.
Heyward has had the pleasure of wearing the black and gold since he was drafted during the 2011 season. This meant he has had the opportunity to play with all-time greats at different points in his career. He shared the field with Polamalu and Harrison during the start of his career, and has been playing with Watt since the 2017 season. There's been a lot of talent on the defense alongside Heyward. He shared who the best player he has ever shared the field with was on the most recent episode of the Not Just Football podcast.
"I think Troy is the number one." Heyward was then asked about Watt. "The thing with TJ is, he's still going and can still reach and grab more. I think what distinguishes the two is that Troy's got two Super Bowl rings. That's the only thing TJ's missing in this equation. TJ's just waiting for big plays in the playoffs, and he's talked about it. We all want success in the playoffs."
Polamalu was an important factor on two Super Bowl-winning teams during his career. Heyward particularly discussed Polamalu's pick-six against the Baltimore Ravens during the 2008 season, which sent the Steelers to Super Bowl XLIII. Heyward feels as though Watt needs to make some of those plays to move up on the list, and of course win Super Bowls.
Watt doesn't have much playoff experience, as he has only played in three playoff games since being drafted in 2017. He has never been on the winning side of things in the postseason, which needs to change soon. It's been a small sample size of playoff football for Watt at this point in his career, but he has still managed to make plays. In 2021, he returned a fumble for a touchdown against the heavily-favored Kansas City Chiefs. The Steelers lost the game, but those were the first points of the game, which gave Pittsburgh life.
Watt missed Pittsburgh's 2023 playoff matchup after he suffered a knee injury during the last game of the regular season. The perennial All-Pro has aspirations to go on a deep playoff run, as he turns 30 in the middle of the 2024 season. His older brother, JJ Watt, had little success in the playoffs. TJ doesn't want to look back on his career and feel the same way.
Pittsburgh will have to run through a gauntlet in order to make some noise in the playoffs. They play all six of their divisional games towards the end of the year, and also have one of the toughest schedules in the league. It'll be a season of perseverance, and if TJ and the Steelers can go on a playoff run he may threaten Polamalu for the top spot on Heyward's list.
Steelers' TJ Watt Has Shown No Signs Of Slowing Down
TJ is getting older, but he seems to keep getting better and better. He had a disappointing season in 2022, but that was mainly due to injury. He bounced back in 2023 by becoming the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks in three separate seasons. Now, TJ will be playing in 2024 with a chip on his shoulder, as he was clearly snubbed for the Defensive Player Of The Year award in 2023.
The league already knows how good TJ is, but he still constantly gets disrespected in various lists and award votings. Hopefully there is some motivation that comes with that, that will drive TJ and the Steelers to a string of playoff wins in 2024.
