Last year, Aaron Donald left Steelers fans outraged after he won Defensive Player of the Year over T.J. Watt. Both players were deserving after putting together great 2020 seasons, but Donald was simply the more impactful player.
Fast forward a year and it’s Watt edging out Donald this time. At the NFL Honors show, Watt was named AP Defensive Player of the Year over Donald, the first time in his career he’s won the award.
Watt led the NFL with 22.5 sacks (tied the single-season record) and 21 tackles for a loss, earning an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection. He also hit the quarterback 39 times, making a total of 64 tackles – the second-most in his career.
He did all that while missing two games, too.
22.5 sacks.@_TJWatt is the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year! #NFLHonors (by @CastrolUSA) pic.twitter.com/5gJWkCnSmd
— NFL (@NFL) February 11, 2022
Donald didn’t put up astronomical numbers this season, but he still had 12.5 sacks, 25 QB hits and 19 tackles for a loss as a defensive tackle. Those would be impressive stats for an edge rusher, let alone an interior defender.
It took a truly great season by Watt to edge out Donald for the award, which only one player had done in the last four years. Despite now being 30 years old, Donald remains a perennial favorite for Defensive Player of the Year.