If TJ Watt can keep up his individual effort for the Pittsburgh Steelers, he could end up being a first ballot Hall of Famer. However, Watt has plenty of other things on his mind than trying to boost individual numbers. He's already racked up plenty of accolades and is almost undisputedly the best defensive player in the NFL. With that all behind him, he's looking for the one thing he has not achieved yet, and it's something that the team has somehow not achieved in the TJ Watt era of Steelers football.
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T.J. Watt scoops a loose ball for the first score in Pittsburgh's Wild Card loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in 2022.
What Watt Wants With The Steelers
In an interview with CBS Sports, the Steelers superstar detailed what his main goal for the 2023 season is. He also talked about how the personal stats are more of an afterthought than a true goal at this point in his career.
"Getting into Year 7, you're just trying to get to the Super Bowl. I've played in three playoff games and haven't won a single one, so that's a big issue. That's probably goal No. 1 is just to get into the playoffs and win a playoff game and just go from there," Watt proclaimed.
The Steelers have been criticized for going through playoff implosion after playoff implosion since their last playoff win in the 2016 season, which happened to be the season before the Steelers drafted Watt.
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Pittsburgh Steelers defensive tackle and captain, Cam Heyward (97) and James Harrison (92) celebrate a sack during a game in 2016 against the Kansas City Chiefs.
In Ben Roethlisberger's swan song in the 2021 Wild Card, the Steelers proved that they didn't have enough talent to compete with the juggernauts of the AFC. The Steelers defense did everything they could to shut down the Kansas City Chiefs, but once the flood gates opened, it was over. Despite Watt getting a scoop-and-score for the game's first points, they gave up 42 points the rest of the way.
That's why Watt yearns for a playoff win. Despite being potentially the most feared defensive player on the field currently, his seasons have almost always ended with a whimper. Even though he could potentially break Michael Strahan's sack record (a record he tied in 2021), that is not what he is focused on at all. He wants to help lead his team and at least win one playoff game, and eventually help lead them to a Super Bowl.
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Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver, Hines Ward (86) after Super Bowl XLV against the Green Bay Packers.
"I'm not about the individual goals anymore. I've set myself up nice where I've been having a good career, but it doesn't matter if you're not winning games when they matter most. I think that's objective No. 1, for sure."
The 2023 season will be about starting to climb that mountain. Watt has already started trying to climb it by working out and running drills with his brother. It's hard to expect a Super Bowl run after many years of not winning a playoff game, but a playoff win in 2023 could help with momentum for the 2024 season. Once they climb up that mountain a little bit, it should be easier for them to make it all the way up and get to the Super Bowl. For now, the Steelers will take it one step at a time, and Watt will be leading the team for that step.
At this point in his career, Watt has 333 combined tackles, 77.5 sacks, 6 interceptions, 37 passes defensed, and a whopping 23 forced fumbles. He is on pace to become the Steelers all-time sack leader by the end of the 2023 season if he stays healthy, a title fellow teammate Cam Heyward will be gunning for as well.
What do you think about TJ Watt's goals and the lack of postseason success that he has had to endure? Can he help the team take a step forward this season? Let us know down in the comments below.
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