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Last season, there was no defender better than Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt. Watt not only tied the single-season sack record but finally got the Defensive Player of the Year award he so richly deserved.
But when Watt spoke on Thursday after OTAs, he made it clear he’s not satisfied. Watt was critical of himself, noting there are lots of small things he can do to improve his game and that he believes his best football is ahead of him. Watt finished 2021 with 22.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss.
If the Steelers defense underperforms this season, it won’t be because of Watt. There isn’t a harder worker on this team on either side of the ball and while he’s not a vocal leader, he certainly leads by example. Pittsburgh has a ton of young players on the roster, all of which would be smart to do all they can to emulate the work ethic and attention to detail Watt lives by.
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