Pittsburgh Steelers OLB T.J. Watt is a team legend. He’s recorded 115 sacks during his nine-year career, all in Pittsburgh.
However, he missed three games in 2025 and finished the season with only seven sacks.
Then there’s the matter of his age. Watt turns 32 years old in October. Are injuries or age decreasing his effectiveness?
Or is it the attention that opposing offenses are giving him? Whether true double-teams or through chipping, opponents pay a lot of attention to T.J. Watt.
Beat writer Mark Kaboly thinks the emergence of OLB Nick Herbig, who just signed a big extension this offseason, and the steady play of OLB Alex Highsmith could change how opponents attack Watt in 2026.
“You have to give those guys almost as much attention as T.J.,” Kaboly said Friday on 93.7 The Fan’s The PM Team. “Maybe that slides over to allow him to be more successful rather than the chip rate, the double team rate, the pass runs rate, whatever rate you’re looking at to be successful. So that could be it too. And I do truly believe this defensive staff are gonna try to put him in better situations rather than do your same two moves to go get the quarterback.”
No doubt, the Steelers’ defense is better when T.J. Watt is playing fantastic football. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham must figure out how to unlock his premier pass rusher. Some people are quite excited to see Graham with all the pieces in place on the Steelers’ defense.
Will the Steelers move T.J. Watt around like people have talked about ad nauseum throughout the last few offseasons? That could be one way to get him away from the consistent chipping and attention.Our very own Alex Kozora thinks that would be a way to help make Watt more effective this year.
However, Kaboly thinks both of his fellow pass-rushers, Nick Herbig and Alex Highsmith, could play a big role in helping Watt out, too.
After all, the Steelers locked up Herbig for multiple years with an extension this offseason. He’s been incredibly effective. Insider Gerry Dulac says the Steelers have “big plans” for him in 2026.
Regardless of whether it’s through the coaching staff or the elevated play of his teammates, getting offenses to take their eye off T.J. Watt more than they have will only benefit him. A higher-performing T.J. Watt makes the Steelers much better.
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