Pittsburgh Steelers star outside linebacker T.J. Watt did not win the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year Award. Watt finished fourth in voting behind the winner, Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain, Cincinnati Bengals edge rusher Trey Hendrickson, and Cleveland Browns defensive end Myles Garrett.
Watt received three first-place votes, but a quiet last month when he failed to register a statistic was his ultimate doom. He still racked up 11.5 sacks and put up solid pressure numbers, but Watt’s productivity took a sharp downturn after suffering ankle and thumb injuries late in the season.
It would have been Watt’s second Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was second last year to Garrett, which stirred controversy when Watt skipped out on the ceremony.
In addition to Watt, Steelers defensive tackle Cameron Heyward earned one second-place vote. Heyward earned another First-Team All-Pro nod and put up 8.5 sacks. His triumphant return after a season marred by multiple groin injuries in 2023 put him in an elite category for players that were 35 years old or older.
