The Pittsburgh Steelers have the best defensive player in the league on their side, something that has unfortunately not tipped the scales enough in 2023. TJ Watt has proven consistently that he is in the upper echelon of NFL defenders since he was drafted as a first-round pick in 2017. Despite that, there has been debate throughout his career as to whether or not he really is the best in the NFL, something that JJ Watt had some very direct words about.
Jeff Dean / ap photo
Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro edge rusher, TJ Watt has celebrated his defensive plays numerous times in his career.
Steelers' TJ Watt: The NFL's Best Without A Doubt
It would be one thing if Pittsburgh's Watt had a rollercoaster career up to this point, but everything about him has been dominant. The Steelers are a miserable 1-10 without him and an incredible 66-33-2 when he does play. Those numbers alone show how reliant the Steelers are on him, not just on defense, but to influence the team as a whole.
"TJ Watt is the best defensive player in football and he does it every single week"@JJWatt #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/X0Ngv8uW1N
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) December 20, 2023
During his regular Wednesday segment on The Pat McAfee Show, the retired Watt brother made sure no one misunderstood his opinion on where his younger brother ranks among the NFL's best defenders. Considering that this conversation has been ongoing for years, the elder Watt wanted to leave no room for interpretation; his brother is the best in the NFL, and there really shouldn't even be a debate about it.
"I mean, it's -- I'm so sick of the conversation. He's the best defensive player in football. I'm so sick of the conversation. He's literally right now on pace to lead the league in sacks in three of the last four years; you know, the only year he didn't is when he missed games with injury. He does it every single week. Teams double team him, teams triple team him, he gets held, he does all these different things like -- I don't know what more you want from an argument standpoint. I don't know what more proof you want."
Anyone who has watched TJ Watt play football knows that he has to overcome consistent, uncalled holding by blockers, and still, he finds himself atop the league's sack board. The retired Watt wasn't finished, though. The simple fact that his younger brother is currently leading the NFL in sacks (16), as he has done for most of his career, means he is the best.
"Some people wanna say, 'Don't look at the statistics.' I'm like, 'Well, dumb***, that's how you judge stuff in football.' Like, guess what? Wins is a statistic, like, that's how we judge champions. So are players. You judge teams by wins; you judge players by stats. That's how this s*** works. Like, why do we keep track of anything? Oh, I don't know, maybe because that's how you decide who's good and who's not, so [the] guy's got the most sacks. He's the best. What do you want?"
It's hard to argue with that, especially when it's coming from someone with first-hand experience in being the NFL's most dominant defensive player. JJ has spoken on his younger brother's incredible gameplay ever since TJ became a Steelers' draft pick, but this is an incredibly important point being made. When it's all said and done, NFL players are judged by what they did on the stat sheet, not by unwritten numbers or feelings.
Tyler Moody / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher, TJ Watt has been held throughout his career, and yet he still dominates regularly.
Are The Steelers Wasting TJ Watt's Career?
At some point as one of the more dominant players in NFL history, Watt has looked around and realized that not only has he not won a single playoff game in his career, the ones he has played in have been wildly forgettable. It is a horrendous disservice to a true Steelers leader that he has put up dominant numbers in every single healthy season he has played, and yet there hasn't been much reciprocation in terms of team success.
Watt has played 101 games for the Steelers, and in those contests, he has tallied a remarkable 93.5 sacks. It isn't just the quarterback takedowns that make Watt the force he is either; it's his ability to change the game by taking the ball away. He has 26 forced fumbles to back that up. It seems that the only way to make a seemingly strong case against Watt being the best defender in the NFL would be to use something other than pure statistics, which is exactly what infuriated the retired Watt brother.
Joe Sargent / Post-Gazette
Pittsburgh Steelers defender TJ Watt has many personal accolades, but has yet to experience what a playoff victory feels like.
As the 2023 Steelers entered their Week 13 contest, things seemed hopeful, and the postseason was in their grasp as they controlled their own destiny. Now, with Week 16 coming up, those hopes have become thin and dangerously weak with Pittsburgh at 7-7, putting them on the outside of the playoff hunt looking in. This is not a team built to rally from large deficits, as 2023 has proven time and time again, and with key AFC teams gaining ground thanks to their own victories, things are grim in Pittsburgh.
With Watt less than a year from being 30 years old, the window to finally show him what a postseason victory feels like isn't getting any bigger. Unless miracles tap the 2023 Steelers on the shoulder, it doesn't seem like this will be the season Watt gets to experience that legitimacy.
What are your thoughts on JJ Watt's remarks regarding his brother TJ? Be sure to comment below!
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