The Pittsburgh Steelers have been fortunate to have star pass rusher TJ Watt as part of their organization. After being snubbed of the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year Award in the eyes of many, Watt has been the favorite to win the award for the 2024 season. However, a late-season surge from Denver Broncos star cornerback Patrick Surtain II has changed that. Watt now sits at +200 odds with the second-best chance to win the award, while Surtain has moved to -170. Just a couple of weeks ago, Watt was the clear favorite at -250.
Watt has continued to perform at a high level in 2024, but despite his stellar season, not everyone is willing to give him the recognition he deserves. ESPN analyst Bill Barnwell left Watt off his All-Pro team, sparking controversy among Steelers fans and analysts. Barnwell's reasoning for excluding Watt from the list of the best four edge rushers in the NFL centers on certain statistical metrics, but many feel his omission is a slight to Watt’s undeniable impact on the field.
Barnwell’s decision has left many questioning the criteria used for his choice to leave Watt off the team. While Watt's statistics and playmaking ability continue to shine, the decision to overlook him in favor of other players has ignited frustration. For Watt, it’s just another example of the disrespect he’s faced throughout his career, but it also serves as motivation to prove doubters wrong and continue his dominance on the field as he aims for the 2024 Defensive Player of the Year title.
"And then there's TJ Watt, who is one of the favorites to win Defensive Player of the Year and doesn't even figure into my top four," Barnwell said. "He has made a number of huge plays at critical times for the Steelers by forcing fumbles, but he ranks 65th in pressure rate among players who rush the quarterback at least 20 times per game, per NFL Next Gen Stats."
Barnwell’s decision to leave Watt off his All-Pro team is bound to frustrate Steelers fans. He argued that the Steelers' pressure rate is actually worse when Watt is on the field, a claim that may have some truth to it just going off the percentage.
However, these numbers fail to capture the full context of Watt’s impact, as his ability to draw double teams and disrupt offenses often goes beyond what traditional and even made up stats can measure.
"I prefer the quick quarterback pressure stat, which measures how often a pass rusher gets after the opposing quarterback within 2.5 seconds of the snap," Barnwell said. "Watt ranks 47th by that metric, at a rate (3.3%) less than half of what teammates Nate Herbig (9.4%) and Alex Highsmith (7%) have put together across from the future Hall of Famer. The Steelers actually have a better pressure rate without Watt on the field (31.1%) than they do with him between the lines (29.9%)."
Barnwell acknowledged Watt’s ability to make splash plays, but argued that he lacks the same consistent impact throughout games as other players he included on his list. Those players—Trey Hendrickson, Myles Garrett, Danielle Hunter, and Jonathan Greenard—making the team over Watt is certainly surprising.
For starters, Garrett's team is one of the worst in the NFL. That is already telling for why you could argue Watt's place on this list against the others named. Despite this, Watt did receive support from former All-Pro and Super Bowl champion offensive tackle Mitchell Schwartz, who defended his value.
Schwartz would know it best considering he was one of the players who had to stop these stars from hitting his quarterback. His opinion holds a lot of weight here and shouldn't be taken lightly.
Steelers' TJ Watt Constantly Gets Disrespected For Making Splash Plays
To be as fair as possible to Barnwell, he did mention that selecting the All-Pro team is an impossible task, with about 10 players who could make a strong case. However, no Steelers fan is likely to agree that those four players had a more impactful season than Watt in 2024.
It’s a recurring theme for some to downplay Watt’s impact over the course of a game, but many wonder why players like Garrett and Micah Parsons, don't also generate the same type of splash plays that Watt does on a consistent basis. Watt leads the NFL with six forced fumbles but since he doesn't pressure the quarterback as much, he gets discredited for his greatness.
