Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is one of the best defensive players in football… arguably the best. His impact on the field was felt back in 2021 when Watt won Defensive Player of the Year honors, tying DE Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 22.5 while being a one-man wrecking crew on Pittsburgh’s defense. Watt’s impact was also felt last season when he was off the field nursing a pec injury that caused him to miss a large chunk of the season, with Pittsburgh going 1-6 without him compared to 8-2 with him on the field.
Watt jumped on The Pat McAfee Show Monday to talk about the upcoming season and the state of the Steelers’ offense and defense after a strong preseason. McAfee was particularly impressed with Watt’s sack in Pittsburgh’s finale against the Atlanta Falcons, and made a wager on the former DPOY in hopes of him breaking the sack record he tied two years ago.
Call it the (half) million-dollar challenge.
“We saw a little push/pull out of you,” McAfee said to Watt on the Pat McAfee Show, which aired live on YouTube. “Oh, now everybody on the Internet is like, ‘It’s a third-string offensive lineman.’ That’s an adult, ok? That’s an adult that was training to do that and another adult just picked him and decided ‘No, you’re not going this way, you’re going this way.’ So, I can’t wait to see what you do this season. 22.5 is a big number. If you break it, we’ll give $500,000 to a charity of your choice. Alright? We’ll just make that right now.”
“I appreciate it,” Watt responded. “That’s incredible. I’m here for it.”
Watt made his sack against the Falcons last Thursday night look easy, showing a blend of speed and power to win the edge as well as the finesse to seamlessly defeat blocks in pursuit of the ball.
McAfee has been known to be a generous donor after his time in the league and rise to stardom as a show host. The Plum native has made multiple large donations over the past few years to the Plum school district, giving $32,000 earlier this summer, $230,000 last summer for new athletic equipment and supplies for the school, and $2 million back in 2021 to the athletic department. Offering $500,000 to the charity of Watt’s choice should prove to be a strong motivating factor to break his own sack record this season, knowing that it would impact the lives of so many by accomplishing that personal feat.
While the defense may be loaded with multiple passes rushers, Watt is certainly capable of breaking the single-season sack record. He tied the record despite missing two games and portions of others back in 2021, suggesting that he could’ve have broken it back if he were to have stayed healthy throughout the season. It’s a win-win for Watt as he gets to chase an individual accolade that could cement his status as a first-ballot Hall of Famer while having the accomplishment impact the lives of thousands thanks to McAfee’s generosity.
