Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher, TJ Watt returned to his usual self in 2023. An injury-riddled 2022 season forced him to miss seven games. Even when he was healthy, he wasn't close to as efficient and dominant as his 2021 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year campaign. Well, after some doubt heading into the 2023 season, he has returned to form in a big way. Watt dealt with several injuries throughout the season, but was able to play through most of them.
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Steelers dominant edge rusher, TJ Watt warms up on the playing surface at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, PA prior to a 2022 preseason game.
In the process, he was able to lead the NFL in sacks with 19. That inevitably led to his sixth selection to the Pro Bowl last week, along with being named the Steelers' Team MVP for the fourth time in five years. Along with the sack numbers, Watt finished 2023 with 19 tackles for loss, eight pass deflections, four forced fumbles, and 36 quarterback hits. ESPN's Bill Barnwell has picked Watt to win this year's rendition of the Defensive Player of the Year Award.
"The Steelers wouldn't have a winning record if not for Watt, who has far and away been the best defensive player on a team that's been utterly dependent on its defense to win games. Again, if [Micah] Parsons or [Myles] Garrett were your pick, I wouldn't bat an eye. To me, however, Watt has been the most productive and impactful edge rusher in football over the full season. It's tough to imagine the Steelers being competition without him in the postseason."
Based off stats alone, it would seem like Watt would be the obvious frontrunner for the award. Ahead of Week 18's must-win contest against the Baltimore Ravens, Watt somehow sat third in odds for the award behind Parsons and Garrett. The seven-year veteran proceeded to go for eight total tackles and two sacks against the Ravens before he left the game with a knee injury. Unfortunately, the injury will likely keep him out of Wild Card weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
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Pittsburgh Steelers dominant edge rushers. TJ Watt (#90) and Alex Highsmith (#56) embrace each other after a big play against the Tennessee Titans at then-Heinz Field in Pittsburgh, PA.
Still, it was the perfect ending to another dominant regular season. We'll find out a little over a month from now who wins the award at the NFL Honors award show. Remember, postseason stats do not count toward these kind of awards, so the voting is already being done. With no disrespect to Garrett or Parsons, Watt has shown who the most valuable defender in football is.
Will The Steelers Star Actually Win His 2nd DPOY Award?
We'll see that once again this weekend, as the Steelers' pass rush may struggle without Watt. In fact, the Steelers are now 10-point underdogs for Sunday's matchup against the AFC East champions. The defense will ask Markus Golden and rookie Nick Herbig to step up in Watt's absence, each of which haven't played a ton this season. Of course, that's due to the fact that the defense has Watt and Alex Highsmith at its disposal.
Jordan Schofield / Steeler Nation (Twitter / X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Steelers dominant edge rushers, Alex Highsmith (#56) and TJ Watt (#90) work together off to the side during 2022 training camp at St. Vincent College in Latrobe, PA.
If Watt wins the award, it would be his second time in seven seasons with the Steelers. His brother, JJ Watt, won the award three times in his illustrious career. Surely, TJ will want to chase down his brother's career awards. The Steelers star continues to build his Hall of Fame case, which seems to be a sure thing at this point. Beyond his eventual Hall of Fame selection though, he will continue to build the case as one of the best edge rushers that this game has ever seen.
Who do you think will ultimately end up winning the award? Why do you think the NFL and media continue to favor Garrett over Watt despite the lopsided stats? How do you think the edge rushers will perform against the Bills without Watt? Share your thoughts in the comment section below, yinz!
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