Reason For Steelers' TJ Watt's Disappointing 2025 Campaign Is Exposed

The Pittsburgh Steelers have always taken pride in the defense that is put on the field. That has been the case throughout the history of the franchise, and it remains true. The defense is full of stars and on paper the roster is very talented, but the group has struggled over the last several years. Many have speculated that the defense in Pittsburgh became very predictable under former head coach Mike Tomlin and former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin. This has been hinted at by players in Pittsburgh, and even some of the Steelers' opponents over the years have said things that exposed just how easy the defense was to exploit.

The defensive journey for the Steelers over the last several years of Tomlin's tenure was very frustrating for many fans. He had a hand in the defense as the former head coach, and Austin seemingly couldn't always do what he wanted. He was essentially ordering off of someone else's menu, as it has been put before. Now the structure is different as Mike McCarthy is an offensive-minded head coach, and Patrick Graham will be calling the defense. This will hopefully lead to some more production and success from the unit, especially from star outside linebacker TJ Watt. He had a down year in 2025, recording just seven sacks.

Beat writer Ray Fittipaldo joined 93.7 The Fan on Monday morning, and he was asked if fans should expect a resurgence from Watt in 2026. He provided some good news on that front while also explaining what went wrong in 2025.

"I think the days of 19 and 23 sacks are over," Fittipaldo said. "Listen, he's going to turn 32. His numbers have gone down. I think the seven last season truly was an outlier. I think a lot of teams kind of knew how the Steelers defense worked, they knew how to take him out of games. I think, if he can get back up between 12 and 14, at this stage of his career, I still think that's really good number for him. Is that living up to the contract that he signed? Probably not. I still think that contract, looking back on it, was a little too much."

Watt's down year in 2025 was magnified due to the fact that he signed a new extension before the season began. He signed a three-year extension that was worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed. It felt like it was known that this contract was a risk, and if Watt doesn't have a bounce back year in 2026, the deal will be a bad look for the organization.

Watt's new deal is often talked about as one of the worst contracts in the league, but if he can get back up to 12 to 14 sacks it won't be looked at that way. Watt only had seven sacks in 2025, but he still produced in other ways. He recorded two interceptions, three forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and eight pass breakups. Pair all of those numbers with a sack number of 12 to 14, and the sentiment surrounding his deal will change quite a bit.

Steelers' TJ Watt Should Benefit From New Defense

Pittsburgh's defense being predictable in the past definitely hurt Watt's production. He didn't move around the defensive formation much, and it was easy to predict where he was coming from on any given snap. Graham should switch things up, and there has already been reports that Watt will be lining up in different areas. 

There is good reason to believe that Watt could be back to his All-Pro self, which Pittsburgh desperately needs.

What do you think of these thoughts from Fittipaldo? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

#SteelerNation