When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt in 2017, they had no idea they would set a franchise record for consecutive winless postseasons. After all, they just competed in the conference finals and seemed to be on the other side of a rebuild.
They didn’t know how good Watt would become, nor that, as good as he is, it wouldn’t matter. Seven seasons into his career, he still has no idea what winning a playoff game feels like. They have only made it to the playoffs four times, though that includes three of the last four seasons.
While the absence of postseason success is an obvious source of contention for him, though, T.J. Watt tries to be productive about it. He has commented on his “record” in the past year, but he has a clear focus for right now.
“I don’t think it’s something that we sit around and harp on. I think it’s just something that you have to take one day at a time because if we’re sitting here right now talking about the playoffs and stuff, you’re overlooking so many opportunities to get better today”, Watt told Pat Kirwan and Jim Miller on Movin’ the Chains on SiriusXM on Friday.
“We’re just taking it one day at a time. We’re trying to thrive. We’re not trying to survive training camp”, he added. “Trying to get better each and every day, and then when that time comes, you at least want to know that all this preparation we’re doing right now leads you to success in that moment”.
What’s interesting is that even though the Steelers haven’t been able to win with T.J. Watt in the playoffs, they sure as heck can’t win without him. They are 1-11 overall when he doesn’t play, including their Wild Card Round loss during the 2023 season. The only game they won in which he didn’t play was against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2022, one of their most improbable wins missing the majority of the secondary.
Watt should safely clear the 100-sack mark this season, perhaps early on in the year, among the fastest in history. There is no question about the fact that he is on a Hall-of-Fame trajectory and should have more than one Defensive Player of the Year Award by now. Either way, he is a six-time Pro Bowler and five-time All-Pro.
But every truly great player knows that the time for greatness is the postseason. And greatness in a team sport is victories. The Steelers haven’t gotten one of them in the postseason in the T.J. Watt era, but you don’t get a participation trophy for crying about it.
The only way to achieve that elusive goal is to put in the work, and that’s where Watt’s priorities are. He needs to know that the work he’s doing now will help the Steelers win in January and February. And that, quite frankly, is the only way to go about it.
