The Pittsburgh Steelers are the home of some of the best defenders in the NFL. They have stars at every level of the defense. This includes Minkah Fitzpatrick at safety, Patrick Queen at linebacker, Cam Heyward on the defensive line, and of course the pass rushing duo of TJ Watt and Alex Highsmith. Pittsburgh also has a budding star in Joey Porter Jr. at cornerback, and the sky is the limit during the 2024 season for these defenders and their teammates.
Watt is consistently a front-runner for the NFL's Defensive Player of the Year Award, but he is often snubbed. Most recently, this happened at the end of the 2023 season, when Pittsburgh's rival Myles Garrett took home the award, despite being statistically worse in nearly every major category. Watt never seems to get the respect he deserves, despite dominating on defense since being drafted in 2017. Cam Jordan is the most recent player to dish out disrespect towards Watt, as he was asked for his top five pass rushers on The Mina Kimes Show.
Jordan listed Trey Hendrickson, Micah Parsons, Maxx Crosby, Nick Bosa, and Myles Garrett. Kimes was stunned to see no Watt on Jordan's list, and asked where he would land.
"No, no TJ Watt. He would round out, he would for sure be in the top seven."
Jordan even mentioned Joey Bosa before getting around to saying Watt. It can be understandable to put Watt at number two or three behind guys like Garrett or Crosby, but saying he would fall at six or seven is absolutely insane to most pundits. Watt became the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks in three separate seasons in 2023 when he led the league with 19.
Watt's production since entering the league is undeniable. Jordan himself entered the league back in 2011. Watt has just 21 less sacks than Jordan, while Jordan has played twice the amount of games as Watt. The Steelers star will more than likely hit the milestone of 100 sacks during his eighth season in 2024, as he is just 3.5 sacks away.
Watt does a lot more than just rush the passer. He is also known to drop back into coverage and make plays, and he has a nose for the football at the line of scrimmage, often batting balls down. He has 45 pass breakups at this point, which is unheard of from a player at his position. Watt essentially won a game for the Steelers against the Los Angeles Rams during the 2023 season by slipping back into coverage and picking off Matthew Stafford, returning it for a near touchdown.
Every defender that plays within the front seven wishes they can produce in the way that Watt does. A concerning trend has begun of the pass rusher blatantly being disrespected by players around the league when he consistently outperforms them every season.
Steelers' TJ Watt Has A Chance To Make History In 2024
Watt already holds the single-season sack record after recording 22.5 sacks during the 2021 season, which tied Michael Strahan's record. If Watt can stay healthy throughout the 2024 season, he will have a real chance to eclipse that number and become the sole holder of the record. He already holds the record for most sacks in franchise history, which says a lot considering the great defenders that have donned the black and gold.
The Steelers defender is a game-wrecker, and whenever he is on the field, Pittsburgh will be in the game. He is a sure-fire Hall of Famer that only continues to add to his resume as the years go by.
