(Photo: Newsweek)
If you’re a defensive player on the Pittsburgh Steelers and you stand out, the chances are you’re going to become a legend within the organization. From Mean Joe Greene, to Jack Lambert, to Mel Blount, Donnie Shell and Troy Polamalu, all of those men I listed are cemented within the black and yellow, plus, they are all Hall of Famers. 15 or 20 years from now, we could be mentioning T.J. Watt in that same conversation. There’s always a standout player on the Pittsburgh defenses and he’s been theirs since coming into the league. For a while now, the biggest storyline surrounding the Steelers was T.J.’s contract extension. Now, we can say there’s been a positive conclusion in all of this as the standout defender has earned another contract extension, a three-year deal worth $123 million which now makes him the highest-paid non-Quarterback in the league today.
I’ve said it for years and I will say it again: This is a top-five defensive player in the league as we speak and each year I’ve watched him since coming into the NFL, I’ve seen him gradually climb the ladder and add to his game which is already scary if you think about it. What can’t T.J. do on a football field? He’s by far one of the best pass rushers in the league and I want to discuss that aspect of his game as he is so relentless and finds his own way to get home to the passer and usually does it with pure speed. When he’s on that hill in a single look, you can already say he’s won that battle because there isn’t a soul in this game that can stay with number 90 one-on-one and if you don’t have help on the side where he is or don’t elect to chip him, he will be in your offensive backfield all game long. What makes T.J. stand out is that he’s not necessarily the biggest guy or the strongest, nor is he the fastest, but he gets the job done and has earned the respect amongst his peers around the league. There’s been times when I’ve seen him get double teamed and he still finds his way through to make the play. I notice that he may not win every single battle, but his motor is what allows him to have a chance in every single battle because he’s able to outwork every single guy on the field. In other words, T.J. never lets up and how could you not respect a guy like that? T.J. can also drop back in coverage and defend the pass when necessary and I remember a play he made against the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. The Steelers were in a base package and T.J. was covering outside, something he usually doesn’t do and he disguised himself, jumped the route, recorded the interception and took it to the end zone for six and as I was watching that play, I was speechless because you never see him defending the pass, but he can do it.
I respect the fact that he still plays with a chip on his shoulder and tries to prove himself. 2020 was one of his best seasons as he recorded 15 sacks and many felt he should’ve won Defensive Player of the Year and in 2021, he tied Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record en route to his first Defensive MVP award. The Steelers go as he goes and he is by far their best player. I’m glad both sides were able to come to an agreement and this didn’t linger on prior to the season starting.
