Not only is star outside linebacker T.J. Watt putting himself in the discussion of the greatest defensive player in Pittsburgh Steelers history, he’s also putting himself in the debate among the best pass rushers in NFL history.
With one Defensive Player of the Year award under his belt, multiple All-Pros and Pro Bowl nods, and 108 career sacks and counting, Watt is on a historic pace.
That’s why CBS Sports’ Jeff Kerr believes Watt is among 12 current players in the NFL today who are locks for enshrinement in the hallowed halls of Canton at the Pro Football Hall of Fame when it’s all said and done.
Watt was one of just four defensive players Kerr highlighted, along with Cleveland’s Myles Garrett, Washington’s Bobby Wagner, and Washington’s Von Miller.
“T.J. Watt is entering the conversation of one of the greatest pass rushers in NFL history,” Kerr writes regarding Watt. “He tied Michael Strahan for the most sacks in a single season (22.5, 2021) and has 108.0 sacks in 121 career games. Watt is the first player since 1982, when the individual sack became an official statistic, to lead the league in sacks three times (2020, 2021 and 2023). His 0.89 sacks per game are the best in NFL history.
“Watt is the third player in NFL history with at least 14.5 sacks in three consecutive seasons (2019-2021), joining Jared Allen (2007-2009) and Reggie White (1986-1988), and he has been selected as a first-team All-Pro four times. He just turned 30 last season, too.”
Though he’s coming off a down season by his own standards with just 11.5 sacks, Watt remains a force off the edge. He led the NFL in forced fumbles last season with six, perfecting his punch-out. He also remains an excellent run defender.
The challenge this season will be moving around more, getting more comfortable lining up in different spots to give offenses unfamiliar looks, making it more difficult to scheme against him from a chips and double teams perspective. Last season, lining up exclusively on the right side of the offense, Watt was a stationary target, and offenses were able to scheme against him, negating him down the stretch.
With a new three-year extension under his belt, making him the highest-paid non-QB in the NFL, Watt will remain a one-helmet guy for the rest of his career. He should continue to stack numbers in the Black and Gold, paving his way towards Canton.
Health late in his career will be key, something he’s struggled with in recent seasons. He dealt with a thumb and ankle injury last season and missed quite a bit of time in the 2022 season with a partially torn pectoral muscle.
If he can stay healthy and remain productive, Watt should be able to surpass the 150-career sacks mark, doing something that only seven players have done in NFL history, all of whom are in the Pro Football Hall of Fame.
