Steelers' Cam Heyward And T.J. Watt Always Competitive; Now Racing To Unseat James Harrison As The Sack King

The Pittsburgh Steelers have built their legacy on the way they develop powerhouse defenses. Since the 1970s, they have become synonymous with soul-crushing strength and tenacity, earning them nicknames such as "Steel Curtain," "Blitzburgh," and "The Big, Nasty D." The sack has been a part of those defenses before counting sacks was even a thing. Now two current defensive titans are racing to beat the Steelers sack record. 

Cam Heyward and T.J. Watt are two guys that opponents hate to be lined up against. They are well known for their leadership skills, grit, incredible work ethic, and how seriously they take playing a smash-mouth style of football. 

Heyward, a defensive tackle, is entering his 13th season in the NFL and has gotten better with age. He was drafted out of Ohio State in 2011 as a first-round selection by Pittsburgh. He has become an incredible leader both on and off the field. He has been a three-time All-Pro selection and a six-time Pro Bowler. Heyward has been chosen as the Steelers' Walter Payton Man of the Year nominee five times for his kindness to those in need through his foundation, The Heyward House. 

But don't get confused, that kindness he shows to others out in the community does not extend to those he meets on the field. During his time in black and gold, he has played in 183 games, starting in 148. He has amassed a whopping 614 combined tackles, 115 of them for a loss, 176 quarterback hits, and 78.5 sacks.  

Watt, an EDGE rusher, has been playing roughly half the time Heyward has, entering his seventh season in 2023. As the younger brother of the incredible J.J. Watt, he had his doubters coming out of the University of Wisconsin. He was selected by the Steelers in the first round in 2017, despite many analysts thinking he wouldn't go until the second round. 

Consistently silencing any doubters, Watt has found his own spotlight. There is no one who can claim he is only in the NFL because he is riding his brother's coattails. During his time in the NFL, he has gotten plenty of his own accolades. He was the AP Defensive Player of the Year in 2021 and has been in contention for it several other times. A three-time First Team All-Pro, he has been selected to the Pro Bowl five times and won the Deacon Jones Award twice. In 2019, he was the co-leader for forced fumbles in the NFL with eight. 

Like Heyward, he has been racking up the stats. Watt has played in 87 games, starting all 87. He has had six interceptions, 23 forced fumbles, 333 combined tackles, 88 of which were for a loss, 162 quarterback hits, and 77.5 sacks.   

Steelers Defensive Leaders T.J. Watt And Cam Heyward Are Neck In Neck

In a recent piece for The Athletic, reporter Mark Kaboly had a chance to catch up with the guys about their relationship and the race to wear the Sack King crown. The current record held by Steelers legend James Harrison stands at 80.5, which he set in 2017 after breaking Jason Gildon's record of 77. 

Watt and Heyward are such tremendous leaders that the duo make up half of the team's captains. Watt is the defensive captain and Heyward is the captain of the whole team. While they work closely on the field, they are also extremely close off the field. The two have a relationship like brothers, according to Head Coach Mike Tomlin. He said they have naturally fallen into their real roles, with Heyward being the older brother, a role he has in real life, and Watt being the younger brother, the role he plays in his family. 

"There's mutual respect, and T.J. is a grown man, an elite professional. But their dynamics, I just think it's very comfortable for them because of who they are in their personal lives from a brother perspective," said Tomlin.

Like most professional athletes, both Watt and Heyward are incredibly competitive, but they really haven't talked about their race to break Harrison's record. This took a little prodding from fellow Steelers defender, Minkah Fitzpatrick. When he heard that Heyward is 2.5 sacks short and Watt is 3.5 sacks away, it got him thinking about stirring the pot a bit. 

"Man, there is going to be a competition all season long between these two. I am just surprised that they haven't talked about it. Maybe I will bring it up? Well, maybe a little bit to see how they react," joked Fitzpatrick.

It appears that the two have been so dialed into the preseason work they have been doing so far in 2023 that this has been the furthest thing from their minds. When asked, Watt said they honestly haven't spoken about it even once. 

"We have been so focused on [here] and now. I know it sounds so cliche, but we haven't talked about any of that stuff. You just take care of what you do, and all of that other stuff will take care of itself."

There is little doubt that both players want to reach the mark first. Even Watt's EDGE rushing buddy, Alex Highsmith, said he knows that, even if they don't admit they both want it first. While it is impossible to tell who will hit the record first, the odds are in Watt's favor that once he breaks it, the new record will be his. 

While Heyward has one more sack than Watt, he has had a lot longer to accumulate them. Thus making it likely that if Heyward breaks the record, he likely won't get to keep it for much time. Even Heyward recognizes that.  

"Even if I do break it first, everybody is going to care when T.J. breaks it, not me," said Heyward. "So, I am not even worried about that. It is just an honor to be among the group. We are competitive, yeah, and we are going to work our tails off, but it is nothing we talk about."

Who do you think will be the first one to break Harrison's record? How long do you think it will be until Watt either ties or surpasses Heyward? Click to comment below. 

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