Steelers' TJ Watt Vilified And Compared To Antonio Brown By Cleveland Radio Host

The Pittsburgh Steelers had several players up for awards at the annual NFL Honors ceremony in Las Vegas, NV ahead of Super Bowl LVIII. TJ Watt was a finalist for Defensive Player Of The Year, Joey Porter Jr. was a finalist for Defensive Rookie Of The Year, and Cam Heyward was the team's nominee for the Walter Payton NFL Man Of The Year Award. Despite the Steelers having many names on the ballots for these prestigious awards, Watt skipped the awards show once he learned he was snubbed for the DPOY Award, which led to him being the victim of a rant by Cleveland radio host, Ken Carman.

Steelers' TJ Watt Falls Victim To Vicious Verbal Attack From Cleveland Radio Host

Watt was one of five finalists for the DPOY Award, along with Cleveland Browns' Myles Garrett, who wound up winning the award. The final tally for the honor of being the NFL's DPOY has been met with a lot of controversy since Watt blew Garrett out of the water when it came to on-field production in 2023. Watt must have gotten word about his loss ahead of the show, as he skipped it in its totality. Steelers fans have been fighting in Watt's defense ever since he was snubbed, which got Carman fired up and led to him bashing fans and Watt during his show on 92.3 The Fan on Valentine's Day. 

"You guys don't like hearing the truth about your own superhero in TJ Watt. What did Mike Tomlin do? Did Mike Tomlin change his plans and go and honor Cam Heyward, who was announced as Walter Payton Man Of The Year at the NFL Honors? I think Mike Tomlin did that. Cam Heyward, the real leader of the Pittsburgh Steelers."

Watt has been heavily criticized for skipping the NFL Honors, but not just for being a sore loser. Heyward was honored as the Walter Payton Man Of The Year, which is widely considered the most prestigious award you can receive in the NFL. Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin was in attendance to support Heyward, but there was no sight of Watt who announced he was skipping the awards on his Instagram story shortly before the show began.

It's understandable that Watt was upset. He should have been the clear winner of the DPOY Award. He led the league in sacks in 2023, and became the first player to ever do that three times in his career. He also contributed in other areas, as he forced four fumbles, had an interception, scored a touchdown, and had eight passes defensed. Carman took Watt skipping the NFL Honors as an act of immaturity, stating he was just pouting, rather than being there to support his teammate.

"What'd TJ Watt do? Pout, moan, get on social media and complain. The same thing you guys all yelled at Antonio Brown for. The same thing you guys all yelled at Le'Veon Bell for. TJ Watt did the same thing. B**ching and moaning."

Both Antonio Brown and Le'Veon Bell were very outspoken about a number of things during their time in Pittsburgh, but comparing that to what Watt did is unfair. Watt is typically quiet on social media, and is generally a pretty quiet individual in the public eye. Stating his displeasure with being snubbed when most sane people say he deserved the award is a lot different from Bell asking for an unreasonable amount of money or Brown and any of his off-the-field antics. 

Should Watt have been there to support Heyward? Absolutely; but there is no way of knowing whether or not he knew Heyward won the award when he decided he was going to skip the NFL Honors. Watt wasn't in the wrong by announcing his displeasure with Garrett winning the award over him, and he certainly wasn't acting out at the level of Brown or Bell. 

What do you think about Watt skipping the NFL Honors? How do you feel about the rant by Carman? Let us know in the comments below!

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