Steelers' Mike Tomlin's Biggest Fan Shuts Down Notion That TJ Watt Is The Clear 2023 Defensive Player Of The Year

The Pittsburgh Steelers found a way to sneak into the postseason after a tumultuous 2023 season. A horrible start to the month of December had fans calling for Head Coach Mike Tomlin's job, but Mason Rudolph came to the rescue and the group found a way to sneak into the playoffs. It ultimately led to a loss, which is something Steeler Nation has become accustomed to since the 2017 season.

The last notable playoff success for Pittsburgh came during the 2016 season when a Conference Championship loss to the New England Patriots led to a draft pick that produced TJ Watt. It's hard to find a more valuable player than Watt when it comes to the Steelers winning games. He is the best defensive player in the world, but no one can explain why he will fall behind Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett in AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.

NFL media personality Rich Eisen has been a fierce defender of Tomlin. He detailed how offensive it is that, as an employee of the NFL, he isn't able to put a vote in for the yearly awards. Steelers fans will understand why once they learn who he has for the illustrious Defensive Player of the Year Award. Eisen isn't just picking Garrett over Watt; he decided to put Las Vegas Raiders' edge rusher Maxx Crosby in second.

"TJ Watt, Maxx Crosby and Myles Garrett. It would be between Myles Garrett and Maxx Crosby even though I know Watt was superb," Eisen said. "Gosh, I would eventually cast my ballot for Garrett."

It's clear that Garrett is an enormously dominant defender. That doesn't make him the league's best and Watt is unfortunately going to lose out on another premier award for a reason that his fans will never know. Watt deserved the award after the 2020 campaign, but the voters decided to go along with the status quo and choose Aaron Donald instead.

Someone at the NFL headquarters needs to define what makes someone the league's best player on defense. Eisen backed up his Garrett support with something having to do with drawing penalties. Watt gets held more than almost anyone in the league, but offensive lineman jumping early is apparently what Eisen thinks warrants someone receiving a big honor.

"[Garrett] was just a monster. I've never seen anybody create a pre-snap penalty because he was motioning."

If the standard for being recognized as the NFL's best defender is pre-snap penalties, there are a ton of flaws in the system. No one can take away how dominant Garrett is on a football field, but Watt's numbers and game-changing ability have been unmatched for years and nothin changed in 2023 after he led the league in sacks for the third time in his career.

Eisen has been a huge advocate for Tomlin and the Steelers. The idea of him not just siding with Garrett, but putting Watt in the third slot is utterly absurd. People are truly starting to get bored with greatness and Watt is becoming a victim of that notion. There is no reason he shouldn't be receiving the award; but get ready Steelers fans, it's going to Garrett.

Steelers' Watt Is On Hall Of Fame Track

Watt hasn't gotten the benefit of the doubt when it comes to awards at seasons' end, but he should be recognized as the best overall defensive player in the NFL. If he continues to play at such a high level, he will be a first-ballot Hall of Famer one day. All that will be asked of Steelers fans in upcoming years is that he is inducted as a member of the team that won Pittsburgh's seventh Super Bowl Championship.

Do you think that Watt was the third-best defensive player in the NFL in 2023? Let us know in the comments below!

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