Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt has been as dominant as any defender on the football field since making his NFL debut in 2017.
Watt is a six-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection. He won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2021, when he recorded 22.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
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TJ Watt, number 90 of the Pittsburgh Steelers, walks off the field at Lumen Field on December 31, 2023 in Seattle. (Conor Courtney/Getty Images)
However, there is one thing that still worries him as he turns 30 later this year: the lack of playoff success. Watt has played three playoff games with the Steelers: in 2017, 2020 and 2021, but he has not been able to find himself on a deep run with the team.
“For me, it's all about not winning the playoffs,” Watt said in a recent interview with The Athletic. “I'm trying to do everything I can. We have so much turnover year after year and so many new guys that I'm trying to learn as much as possible from guys from other organizations that have done it and won championships since I've been in the League.
“I'm going to do everything I can to win. It's about not taking any day for granted and when it comes to executing and working, putting everything aside and doing it.”
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt, number 90, celebrates a sack against the Baltimore Ravens at M&T Bank Stadium on January 6, 2024 in Baltimore. (Rob Carr/Getty Images)
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Watt didn't estimate how much time he has left in the NFL, but noted that “he doesn't have to play forever.”
“I've always approached the game like this, and I've never taken it for granted, and that hasn't changed at all.”
Watt finished the 2023 season with an NFL-leading 19 sacks. He also placed second in Defensive Player of the Year voting. He missed the team's playoff game against the Buffalo Bills due to a knee injury.
Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Jake Browning, #6, is sacked by Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt, #90, during the game against the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Cincinnati Bengals on Nov. 26, 2023, in Paycor Stadium in Cincinnati. (Ian Johnson/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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Pittsburgh was sixth in points allowed and 21st in yards allowed last season.
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