Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt’s pass-rush production dipped in 2025 as he totaled just seven sacks in 14 games. But Watt also had two interceptions and two forced fumbles, and a panel of Associated Press Pro Football Writers ranked Watt as the fourth-best EDGE rusher in football.
Myles Garrett, Micah Parsons and Will Anderson Jr. placed ahead of Watt, who finished ahead of Aidan Hutchinson in the list of the top five.
It’s a higher placement for Watt than he received on ESPN’s poll of scouts, coaches and executives where he fell from second to seventh. While Watt’s production wasn’t up to his usual standard in 2025, there’s hope he can return to form in 2026 in Patrick Graham’s defense. Watt said he’s likely going to move around more in Graham’s scheme, something most of the top EDGE rushers have done more in recent years.
As a whole, the Steelers still have a strong pass-rush with Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig making a formidable trio at EDGE. Watt has long been the anchor of that group, and he’ll look to return to that status in 2026.
Watt had routinely been mentioned along with Myles Garrett as 1A and 1B as the league’s top pass rushers, but Garrett has separated himself after setting the NFL’s single-season sack record last season. Now that he’s out of the AFC North following a shocking offseason trade, Watt should be the best pass-rusher in the division.
He’s still a nightmare for offensive linemen to deal with and a player that teams need to gameplan against, which is more difficult to do with the Steelers’ other pass-rush talent. If Watt can put together a season closer to his standard, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him ranked higher next season, though Parsons and Anderson are both still ascending and had strong 2025 campaigns (Parsons’ year was cut short due to injury, and his rehab continues).
It says a lot that, even after a seven-sack season, Watt is still considered a top-tier pass-rusher, and it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he rebounded this season. He spent time this offseason training with Herbig, Keeanu Benton and Jack Sawyer, as well as his brother J.J. in Wisconsin as he’s done the past few years. With training camp set to begin in under two weeks, Watt will set out to prove that he isn’t declining.
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