Last offseason, the Pittsburgh Steelers didn't make an effort to re-sign fullback and special teamer Derek Watt once his three-year contract expired. It was the end of a somewhat disappointing tenure in Pittsburgh. When Watt originally signed, many believed that the Steelers offense was going to be shifting back to smash mouth football, but that never materialized as Watt's usage as a fullback was minimal.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (Twitter / x: @JSko_PHOTO)
Former Steelers fullback, Derek Watt.
That was a bitter pill for many fans to swallow and caused a lot of unwarranted hate towards Watt. Most of Watt's playing time came on special teams, and he was able to excel in that role. During his career, he logged over 2,000 special teams snaps and was the Steelers special teams captain. After Watt's contract expired, the Steelers didn't even engage with him about a possible return.
After not playing in 2023, Watt has finally decided to officially announce his retirement from the NFL. With that came a special message to his brothers.
"To JJ & TJ:
From playing in the backyard, to sharing a field in the NFL, this journey together has been absolutely incredible. They say if you want to be great , that you should surround yourself with greatness. You both have pushed me to be the best that I could be and it's been special to see all the hard work that we put in and sacrifices that we made pay off!"
Watt also took time to thank the two organizations that he played for during his seven-year career.
"To the Chargers and Steelers:
I can't thank the Spanos family and the Rooney family enough for the opportunities that you provided for me with! It was an honor to be a part of and represent 2 great organizations."
THANK YOU! pic.twitter.com/7t8pssogZe
— Derek Watt (@DerekWatt34) March 12, 2024
The highlight of Watt's time in the black and gold came against the Cleveland Browns in Week 18 of the 2022 season. The Steelers were hoping to grab a playoff Wild Card spot and needed to win to even have a chance (it wasn't enough, they needed losses that didn't happen).
Quarterback Kenny Pickett led the team with a 14-play, 75-yard drive culminated with a fullback draw by Watt. The offense was on the Browns' 1-yard line, Pickett snapped the ball, and running back Najee Harris and tight end Connor Heyward motioned left. This allowed Pickett to hand the ball off to Watt who was able to launch himself into the end zone behind some textbook blocking. This was Watt's second touchdown of the season and the third of his career.
Congratulations on a solid seven-year NFL career! We wish you nothing but the best in this next chapter of your life! And we hope to see you around Acrisure Stadium in the future!
#SteelerNation
