Through six NFL seasons, star Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has missed just 11 games.
Of those 11 games, the Steelers were without Watt for seven games in 2022, going 1-6 in the early portion of the season after Watt suffered a partially torn pectoral muscle late in the Week 1 overtime win over the Cincinnati Bengals to open the season on the road.
Once Watt returned to the lineup, the Steelers went on a run in the second half of the season, going 7-2 to finish 9-8 on the year. Watt finished with 5.5 sacks on the year as well. With his numbers were very low — in comparison to what he typically does each season off the edge — due to the injury, ESPN dropped Watt three spots in its edge rusher rankings Monday morning.
Watt, who was last year’s No. 1 in the series put together by ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler thanks to a survey featuring league executives, coaches, scouts and players, fell to No. 4 ahead of the 2023 season behind reigning Defensive Player of the Year Nick Bosa in San Francisco, Cleveland’s Myles Garrett and Dallas’ Micah Parsons.
Watt was ranked as high as No. 1 in some surveys and as low as No. 7 in others. For many, it came down to health with Watt.
“[Ranking pass-rushers] is all preference, but when healthy, Watt is hands down the best in the game,” an NFC exec said to Fowler, according to ESPN.com. “Watt is to edge rush what [Aaron] Donald is to interior.”
“You know he’s going to be fueled by last year and come out with a monster performance [in 2023],” the exec added.
Using last season’s injury, which was a freak injury to be clear, feels like a serious crutch from those who participated in the survey. Prior to last season, Watt was a beacon of health overall. He played in 77 of a possible 80 games and recorded snap count percentages of 82, 86, 86, 88, 73 and 83%.
Prior to the injury suffered late in the fourth quarter of the Week 1 win, Watt looked like his usual dominant self. He recorded a sack, three tackles for loss and an interception before that ill-fated play in which he tried to sack Cincinnati’s Joe Burrow but slid off as Burrow ducked under, resulting in Watt partially tearing his pectoral, landing him on Injured Reserve.
When Watt came back he was his usual disruptive self, making a play at the line of scrimmage on his first snap against the New Orleans Saints in Week 10, signaling his return.
Watt recorded 29 pressures in the second half of the season, including a season-high six against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18. While he said it took him awhile in his return to really feel like himself, he was still a very good player overall.
Therefore, it’s a bit puzzling to see him falling down these rankings due to injury. It’s not like he forgot how to play football in his return, and it’s not as if he’s on the wrong side of 30 and coming back from a serious injury to his lower body. As the executive said to Fowler regarding a monster performance in 2023, there’s a great chance that happens. Watt’s fully healthy and will undoubtedly be motivated by some of the disrespect that’s headed his way this offseason in some of these positional rankings, putting him behind guys that he has better numbers and more consistent production than.
