With 10 years in Pittsburgh, T.J. Watt has checked almost every box an individual defensive player could hope for. Still, one major gap stands out on his résumé, a playoff victory, and after nearly a decade of individual success, Watt is making it clear that personal accolades alone are no longer enough.
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“We wanna play our best football as the season goes on and try to find ways to stay fresh and healthy down the road,” Watt said on the Deebo & Joe podcast. “I have not won a freaking playoff game in my whole career. Sitting up here next to guys like you, Deebo, that’s just unacceptable. Yeah, that needs to change, and I sound like just a broken record, but that’s what it is.
“Isn’t that crazy? The farthest I have ever made it in the playoffs was when we lost to Jacksonville, when we had that first-round bye. That’s something, as a Pittsburgh Steeler for 10 years, man. You look back at your legacy as a team and what you accomplished. I think that’s a box that’s left unchecked right now.”
Through nine seasons and 135 games, the OLB recorded 517 tackles, 115 sacks, and 244 QB hits. He also appeared in five playoff games, but Pittsburgh lost all of them. Even Watt’s fumble return for a touchdown against the Kansas City Chiefs wasn’t enough to change the outcome. The Steelers have not won a postseason game since Jan. 15, 2017, a drought that has followed Watt throughout his career.
The contrast is even sharper when looking at Watt’s individual résumé. He has earned eight Pro Bowl nods, four first-team All-Pro selections, and the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He has remained one of Pittsburgh’s most productive and important defenders, but postseason success is still the one major achievement missing from his decade with the franchise.
“I think the spring and the summer were more about him introducing his system and what he expects out of his defense, what he likes, what he doesn’t like, and then this fall is when we make that a cohesive unit and try to get everyone on the same page,” Watt said. “I think, at the end of the day, it’s a 3-4 defense, Pittsburgh Steelers. It’s a very dynamic group. We’re going to be moving around, like I said, just trying to keep offenses on their toes so we can’t be too predictable.”
At the same time, Patrick Graham is changing how Watt will be used in Pittsburgh’s defense. Graham plans to move Watt, Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig around more before the snap, with the aim of creating confusion and favorable matchups.
“A lot of times you’re either trying to be right, meaning you’re scheming it up for a free runner or a one-on-one, like a designed one-on-one,” Graham said on the Locked On Steelers podcast.
The added flexibility could give Watt more chances to impact games, but Pittsburgh’s playoff drought goes far beyond him. The Steelers also made a major change at the top by replacing Mike Tomlin with Mike McCarthy. With a Super Bowl XLV title on his résumé and a long history with Aaron Rodgers, McCarthy brings another fresh element to Pittsburgh’s push for better postseason results.
Former Super Bowl-winning guard Mark Schlereth still sees Watt as one of the NFL’s elite defenders. “T.J. Watt is a dude that every time you break the huddle, you gotta figure out where that guy is. Plays exceptionally hard, unbelievable,” Schlereth said on The Stinkin’ Truth podcast. “I think he’s one of those guys that’s just a complete player.” His comments reinforce the idea that Pittsburgh’s playoff struggles are not about Watt’s individual ability, especially as Graham looks for new ways to maximize him.
But for Watt, the issue has remained a persistent headache for years. And this wasn’t the first time he complained about it. However, with McCarthy in the coach’s chair, things might change.
How can Mike McCarthy make things better for T.J. Watt?
Following the recent training camp practice in Latrobe, McCarthy addressed the media at the presser and acknowledged the situation. The Steelers are navigating through a change in both offensive and defensive strategies. And that brings a little bit of confusion for the players. But it’s the missed assignments at camp that worry the coach.
“I don’t like where we are as far as the number of missed assignments,” he told the reporters. “They’re a little higher than normal.”
Well, the Steelers have repeatedly experienced failed quarterback exchanges and protection issues around the red zone at camp. On top of that, penalties kept interrupting the practice sessions. However, the locker room is changing for the better.
“They’ve pretty much cleaned it up over the past few years,” Mark Kaboly wrote on X. “It sure can’t hurt to have good guys in the locker room. Every year, there seemed to be a couple of jerks. I don’t get that sense this year.”
Of course, T.J. Watt has already secured his place among the all-time great defenders in Pittsburgh Steelers history. But this time, with a better locker room culture, can the Steelers claim a playoff win?