Regarding the best players in the league, T.J. Watt has been in the conversation for years as a member of the Pittsburgh Steelers.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have had plenty of defensive leaders in their storied history, but few will be as great as Watt has in his career. Pittsburgh’s captain has been the one to set the tone and disrupt opposing offenses year in and year out since being drafted by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
In the 2023 season, Watt delivered another impressive campaign. He finished the season with an NFL-leading 19.0 sacks to go along with 68 total tackles, 36 quarterback hits, eight pass deflections, and an interception over 17 games. It was a much-needed return for the 29-year-old after only playing in 10 games during the 2022 season.
This performance was good enough to see Watt finish in second for the AP Defensive Player of the Year award, placing behind the Cleveland Browns’ Myle Garrett. The same can be said on the “NFL Top 100 Players of 2024” list.
Watt was voted to the No. 8 spot in the top 100, marking a big rise from the season prior — where he finished 27th.
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The Steelers linebacker ended up finishing as the third-best defender on the 2024 edition of the list, finishing behind Garrett and Kansas City Chiefs star defensive tackle Chris Jones, as they placed fifth and sixth, respectively.
Watt and the Steelers look ahead to another big season this year when they kick off in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons on Sep. 8 at 1 p.m. EST.
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Featured image via Barry Reeger/USA TODAY Sports