In an anonymous player poll, Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt won the Defensive Player of the Year award, narrowly edging out Dallas Cowboys CB Daron Bland. Greg Auman of Fox Sports helped take the poll, conducted at the Pro Bowl.
Watt finished with six votes, while Bland had 5.5 as someone split their vote between him and Cleveland Browns DE Myles Garrett. Auman wrote that the first seven votes went to different players, with 13 total players receiving at least one vote. Garrett came in third behind Bland and Watt.
Bland had an impressive season with an NFL-record five interceptions returned for touchdowns. He stepped up for the Cowboys with CB Trevon Diggs going down for the season, and it’s clear that players appreciated his efforts this season. Watt isn’t likely to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award at the NFL Honors on Thursday night, and he already lost the PFWA Defensive Player of the Year award. Interestingly, he was also not named an All-Pro by the NFLPA in what was a vote by the players, but in this poll, Watt got enough respect to finish first and ahead of guys like Garrett, Micah Parsons, and Maxx Crosby.
Watt led the NFL in sacks for the third time in his career, finishing with 19 in 2023. He also had an interception and 68 total tackles to go along with four forced fumbles and eight passes defensed. It was another stellar season for Pittsburgh’s best player, and his numbers are better than those of Garrett, who is likely to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award. While both Watt and Garrett were first-team All-Pros, Garrett got more votes for that honor than Watt. Given that the voting pool is the same, that doesn’t bode well for Watt’s chances. It would be Watt’s second Defensive Player of the Year award, while it would be Garrett’s first.
Other notable players to get recognition in the player vote include Justin Madibuike of the Baltimore Ravens, who got two votes, and his teammate, Roquan Smith, who garnered one vote. Former Cincinnati Bengals safety Jessie Bates, now with the Atlanta Falcons, also received one vote. While it doesn’t mean anything substantial, it’s good to see Watt get recognition from his fellow players who can appreciate just how dominant he was in 2023. He’s far and away the most important player for the Steelers, and his defensive prowess doesn’t always get enough respect. That’s not the case here, though, as Watt takes home the “win” for Defensive MVP.
