Steelers' TJ Watt Receives Fierce Defense From Wife Dani After He Fell Victim To Officiating Bias Once Again

The Pittsburgh Steelers once again will finish a season with a winning record under Head Coach Mike Tomlin. After a horrible three-game losing streak in December, the team has bounced back after defeating the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 16 and then the Seattle Seahawks in Week 17. The group got out of Seattle without too many injuries, but star defender TJ Watt exited the contest late. In his press conference on Monday, Tomlin mentioned that the former AP Defensive Player of the Year could be limited earlier in the week, but his ailment is not expected to affect his status for Week 18 against the Baltimore Ravens.

The injury to Watt happened with under three minutes remaining in the fourth quarter. For a league that is focused on protecting the players (specifically the quarterback), it doesn't seem like Watt receives any kind of protection from the league's officials. He is constantly being held, and on Sunday, it led to him exiting the game. His brother, JJ Watt, brought the play to light on social media.

It's clear that some of the league's top edge rushers such as TJ, Myles Garrett and Micah Parsons are held on a consistent basis. It goes too far when one of them gets injured. The Steelers are lucky that their best player will likely be able to play versus the Ravens with the playoffs on the line. TJ's wife, Dani, was also not happy about the horrendous no-call either.

She took to her Instagram to express displeasure about the play. Dani, just like every other football fan out there, could tell that TJ was injured after a clear holding from Seahawks' offensive tackle, Stone Forsythe. Dani let her followers know, via Instagram story, that there is an obvious bias against her husband.

"Every dang play. So sick of refs 'choosing' what players they want to call holds for."

Dani is speaking to all of Steeler Nation. She posted the same video of the play as JJ did. Enough is enough. The NFL has been heavily criticized for officiating in 2023, and this is yet another example of the hypocrisy. TJ may have avoided a severe injury, but the lack of a holding call, in a key moment, is a terrible look for the league.

Steelers' Watt Vocalizes Frustration With Officiating In 2023

After a tough Week 14 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, Watt was not happy in his postgame press conference. He stated that the NFL must have something against him because he never gets the benefit of the doubt when it comes to offensive lineman mauling him. Against the Cardinals, he also suffered an injury on a clear hold that wasn't called and let the league's office know about it.

"I don't know, the NFL has something going against me so I don't want to talk any more negatively towards them. I don't know what I did, but, I'll leave it at that."

No one can deny that two injuries to one of the league's best defensive players should be accepted. Offensive linemen are big guys who try and get an advantage on quick edge rushers. It's one thing to give them the benefit of the doubt on a tug here and there, but watching a player go down with an injury right in front of them and not calling a hold is ludicrous.

A lot of things need to change in the NFL when it comes to officiating. TJ's wife, Dani, has had enough of the holds and injuries to her husband, and the fan base should as well. It doesn't just go for TJ. While a guy like Garrett can wreak havoc on the Steelers, he, as well as Parsons, don't deserve to be tackled to the ground while rushing the passer. If the league wants to preach safety, this kind of stuff needs to be addressed.

What are your thoughts on Dani and JJ's comments? Let us know in the comments below!

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