Steelers Potential 2023 FA Target Taylor Lewan Blasts TJ Watt During Uncensored Rant

The 2022 season should have taught the Pittsburgh Steelers one lesson above all: TJ Watt is the franchise. This is not an earth-shattering revelation for fans of the black and gold. Watt missed seven games after a pectoral injury that could have sidelined him for the entire regular season. The Steelers went 1-6 without the 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year and 8-2 with him. Watt will not get any MVP votes, but he certainly should.

The Steelers head into this offs-eason with several key positions to fill, so they can maximize Kenny Pickett’s rookie contract and compete for a championship. A franchise left tackle to protect Pickett’s blind side is a priority and most fans expect that slot to be filled by one of the three top 50 draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft. However, a significant portion of the fan base would like the Steelers to dip into free agency for offensive line help like they did last year.

Taylor Lewan from the Tennessee Titans is expected to be one of the top free agent tackles available in the current free agent crop. The former first-round pick in the 2014 NFL Draft does not fit the profile of a player the Steelers usually pursue in free agency. The Steelers typically pursue players going into a second contract and in their mid 20’s.

Lewan will be 32 years old when the season starts and has missed a significant amount of games in every season since 2019. He did play 13 games in 2021, but Lewan did not play in 15 games last season, which marks the fourth consecutive season he has missed at least 25% of his team’s games. Lewan did make three consecutive Pro Bowls from 2016-2018, but his best days are probably behind him.

Lewan has expressed a desire to join the Steelers, but it may just be a publicity stunt on his part. He is exploiting some pretty significant history between him and the Steelers best player, Watt. The feud between these two players started in his rookie season and he discussed it on his Bussin’ With The Boys podcast:

“TJ’s rookie year, I spit in his face during the game,” Lewan said. “Him and Bud Dupree tried to fight me after the game. We got rolled on Thursday Night Football. He was rushing really hard in the fourth quarter and he was talking, there was nothing I could really say back, so I spit in his face and it hits right here (points to the eye).”

It was a classless move and one that Lewan admits he's not proud of nearly five years later. He has demonstrated no remorse for the incident however, and indicated on his podcast that Bud Dupree and Watt were just talking because he was standing outside the team bus waiting for them. It sometimes seems as though Lewan wears the incident like a badge of honor, instead of the shameful incident it is.

Lewan has decided that Watt is not justified in avoiding interactions with him publicly and took to Twitter on Wednesday to call out the All-Pro linebacker for not agreeing to come on his podcast at the upcoming Super Bowl and insult Steeler Nation at the same time:

“Pittsburgh is a phenomenal city,” Lewan begins. “The three lakes meeting together, Heinz Field [Acrisure Stadium] right on the corner. They play that dope a** song [Renegade] on fourth down. So Will [Compton] and I going to the Super Bowl to do Bussin' With The Boys to do media row.”

"We send an olive branch out to TJ Watt, we would love to have you on our podcast. This [expletive] just told us no. He just denied us for the third time in a row. They want us to be teammates. This feels like that’s bad teammate vibes, right? Yeah, I spit in his face and hit him in the nuts one time. Can we turn a page?”

Lewan is incredulous that Watt can’t forgive these incidents. Why wouldn’t someone you have completely disrespected and then essentially called a coward in October for not making good on an in-game threat have any issues with doing you a favor? Not to mention insulting the three rivers and Renegade in the process. It is a small wonder that Watt is avoiding him. 

The Titans tackle has also repeatedly told anyone who would listen that Watt isn’t as good as Myles Garrett, which is a pain point for Steelers fans that dislike the Cleveland Browns defensive end for multiple reasons. Lewan is trying to drum up interest in his free agency and floating the idea that the Steelers would seriously consider signing him, but only if they get Watt in line and force him to do his podcast.

Taylor Lewan Detailed Interest In Steelers; Absolutely Could Give Team-Friendly Deal

The Steelers don’t need an old tackle who is more interested in baiting the franchise player into a situation that will only end badly for Watt. Either he looks bad for not accepting a meaningless apology from a bad actor, or he gets into a confrontation that could put a black eye on his image and the Steelers. Watt is above that and Omar Khan and Mike Tomlin should be above signing a player whose antics would be more at home in the XFL.

What do you think, Steeler Nation? Do you hope that Watt and the Steelers pass on working with Lewan? Please comment below, or on my Twitter @thebubbasq.