"Really Happy": TJ Watt Turns Heads With Latest Comments On Steelers' Big Three

After Pittsburgh Steelers General Manager Omar Khan decided to give rising star edge rusher Nick Herbig a four-year extension worth up to $100 million, it became clear that the Steelers still believe rushing the quarterback is how you win games in the NFL. That is not a bad idea, but when you add up the amount of money tied to TJ Watt, Alex Highsmith, and now Herbig, it puts the Steelers right behind the Houston Texans with $84 million in AAV.

That is a ton of money, but if it pays off and Patrick Graham can get all three of them producing double-digit sacks, then this Steelers defense would be worth the investment. It is not just the edge rushers either, the defensive line is getting better as well and should continue to improve, setting up an exciting 2026 campaign for this defense.

After Herbig’s extension, there has been plenty of talk about how Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig will all get on the field together. There was even discourse surrounding a potential Highsmith trade. However, that should not be much of a concern. The Steelers will find creative ways to deploy all three of them at critical moments when needed. While speaking to Brooke Pryor of ESPN, Watt explained the coolest part about the Steelers' Big Three (Watt, Highsmith, Herbig) and the defense as a whole.

"Oh, we're deep," Watt said Wednesday. "Obviously not just our room, but the defensive front as a whole is really deep, and we really care about each other, too. That's the cool thing about this group is we're constantly trying to help each other out. We don't care who makes the plays. We just want to be as successful as we possibly can. We want to work together and just continue to grow, and we're really happy with how things have started this summer."

With all the conversation surrounding Watt needing to lead the league in sacks or Highsmith needing to statistically outperform Herbig, it is important to remember that when you take a deeper look at the numbers, much of Herbig’s success has come because of the attention that Watt draws. It's safe to say Highsmith has also benefited from that as well. They would all be the first to tell you that, and the ever-humble Watt is tripling down on what Steelers fans have long debated.

It does not matter who fills the stat sheet, as long as this defense fixes the issues that have persisted over the last few seasons. 

Steelers' Defense Is Facing More Pressure Than It Has In Years

The expectations are higher than ever, and with the amount of talent invested across the defensive front, Pittsburgh is no longer being evaluated on potential. It is being judged on results, and anything short of consistent disruption and improved run defense will raise serious questions about whether this unit can finally live up to its billing. 

With Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin gone, there is no longer anyone to shield blame. A lot has been made about the Graham hire, but it will not matter if he cannot get this defense producing shutdown performances game after game. Fair or not, his first year will be judged harshly because of the tremendous amount of talent he has on his defense.

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