With only the Super Bowl left in the 2023 NFL season, it’s award season. Pittsburgh Steelers fans are waiting for one award in particular: the Defensive Player Of The Year. Will LB T.J. Watt win or will it go to a division rival in Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett?
CB Patrick Peterson might be biased, but he’s certain of who his vote would go to. Peterson joined Good Morning Football on Monday morning and was asked about what it’s like watching Watt in person.
“There’s nothing that T.J. can’t do,” Peterson said. “Having an opportunity to play with him this year, seeing how he gets the team riled up, seeing how he forces guys to play up to his level, I call him Superman because, like I said, there’s nothing T.J. can’t do. He played play in and play out. He plays with an unrelentless energy and a level of efficiency on getting to the quarterback. So there’s no doubt in my mind T.J. is deserving of his second Defensive Player of the Year.”
Watt won the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021 after leading the league with 22.5 sacks, and he led the league in sacks again in 2023. He finished the season with 19 sacks to go along with 68 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, one interception, three fumble recoveries, and a fumble returned for a touchdown. He was named to his sixth-straight Pro Bowl and was first-team All-Pro for the fourth time in his career.
Evidently, Peterson is not the only NFL player who feels that Watt should win the award. Greg Auman of Fox Sports helped poll players at the Pro Bowl, and Watt received slightly more votes than any other player for DPOY.
Now does that mean Watt will win the award? Competition is stiff this season. Many people presume it will be Garrett, especially after he was named Sporting News’ DPOY. He had 14 sacks, 42 total tackles, 17 tackles for a loss, 30 quarterback hits, five fumble recoveries, and one fumble returned for a touchdown.
However, in that players poll at the Pro Bowl, a different player finished second to Watt. Dallas Cowboys CB Daron Bland finished second narrowly to Watt after setting an NFL record with five interceptions returned for a touchdown. He also had 22 passes defended to go with 69 total tackles, three tackles for a loss, and a quarterback hit.
Steelers fans do not have to wait much longer as the NFL will hold its NFL Honors awards show on Thursday, February 8th. If Peterson and the assembled Pro Bowlers are right, Watt will be winning his second DPOY award.
