It’s high praise from one NFL star to another. Philadelphia Eagles OT Lane Johnson joined Richard Sherman on his The Richard Sherman podcast that aired Tuesday and was asked to rank the top four pass rushers in the NFL. Johnson mentioned Watt as he rattled off a list of names, noting that Watt’s smarts and skills make him a handful to block.
“[Myles Garrett],” Johnson started off by saying. “I think Maxx Crosby’s a really good player. T.J. Watt, those guys, man, obviously they’re skilled, but those players, man, they’re so smart. They look at your stances, they’re looking at your eyes. So a lot of stuff, maybe you can get away with lesser players. Those guys there, you gotta be at your best. I’d say those three.”
Watt is a hard worker who has used every advantage possible to improve his game and get after the quarterback. In the 2020 COVID year, he watched TV tape instead of just coaches’ film, which doesn’t have audio, in order to hear a quarterback’s cadence that improved his timing off the ball. And he recently told the story of listening for the New York Giants’ huddle calls in an empty stadium to begin the year, forcing them to go on a silent count in their own arena.
The best players in the league combine their athletic gifts with a great work ethic and strong football IQ. Watt certainly has all three. His athleticism remains underrated, a 9.92 RAS with the ability to chase the ball all over the field, time and leap to bat down or intercept passes, and great closing speed to finish plays. He might not be the athletic freaks Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons are but he’s still a nightmare for tackles to defend.
Johnson wasn’t sure of the fourth name to put alongside those three. He mentioned Parsons, DeMarcus Ware, and a couple of surprises in Olivier Vernon and Elvis Dumervil, difficult players to block given their unique frames.
Fortunately for Johnson, he missed having to deal with Watt last season. Watt was still recovering from a partially torn pectoral muscle when the Eagles beat the Steelers in 2022. The two have only played against each other once. In 2020, Pittsburgh beat Philadelphia on the back of Chase Claypool’s four touchdowns. Defensively, Watt had himself a day, finishing with three tackles for a loss, three QB hits, and a sack.
At 33 years old and dealing with injuries, Johnson may never have to face Watt again. But there’s clearly respect there between two of the best at their position.
