Steelers Great James Harrison Completely Shuts Down TJ Watt Narrative

On Sunday, the Pittsburgh Steelers defeated the Baltimore Ravens 26-24 in an absolute thriller. The Steelers' defense didn't have its best game, giving up over 100 rushing yards in the first half, but they held the Ravens' run game in check in the second half. Baltimore finished with 137 rushing yards in the game total. The Steelers' defense was fortunate enough to have no injury designations for this game, meaning everyone who had been previously banged up in recent weeks had played. This includes star edge rusher TJ Watt, who had missed the previous three games due to a dry needling incident leading to a punctured lung.

Watt has been getting a lot of heat this season. He held out of offseason workouts in hopes of a new contract extension. He would eventually get what he asked for: a three-year, $123 million contract extension signed just before training camp. A deal that made him the NFL's highest paid edge rusher at the time. Watt's stats aren't up to his usual standards this season, however. He posted seven sacks and 46 pressures, which are 28th and 36th in the NFL. He also recorded two interceptions this season. He is also Pro Football Focus' 31st ranked edge rusher at a grade of 74.2. Watt's get-off time has also dropped this season. 

Former Steelers linebacker and NFL AP Defensive Player of the Year, James Harrison went on his Deebo & Joe podcast to defend Watt and let fans know that it's not just all about the numbers.

"And y'all wanna talk about TJ, TJ ain't got nothing left," Harrison began. "Dude, that's crazy. Again, people, he doesn't have the numbers. I see that, but what you don't realize is that he is impacting the game just by being on the field."

Watt has had some freak accidents throughout his career, including a torn pectoral muscle that caused him to miss half a season, a knee injury during the fourth quarter of a Week 18 game against the Ravens in 2023, and a punctured lung this season. He has not missed many games since being drafted in 2017. However, when he does, the Steelers do not exactly rise to the occasion in the face of adversity. 

The Steelers are 3-11 without Watt, two of those wins being this season alone. Watt is still an effective player at age 31, however. He can still defend the run exceptionally well and can still get pressure on the quarterback at a high rate.

Will Steelers See Watt Return To His Defensive Player Of The Year Form?

Watt is currently 31 as mentioned and isn't getting any younger. The Steelers believe he can bounce back and be the player he once was. Watt has always been a speed rusher; he had one of the NFL's best get-offs in his prime, and he led the NFL in sacks three times because of it. However, that get-off has gotten slower every season since 2022.  

The Ravens in Sunday's game went right at Watt on the first play of the matchup, and popped a 41-yard run. However, Watt made sure that didn't happen again. He even chased down Henry from the backside on a few plays. Watt will likely never be the pass rusher he once was, but his run defense and the ability to still apply pressure to the quarterback still remain. He still has some quality years left as he enters the twilight of his career. 

What do you think? Does Watt still have juice left in him? Will he return to his once-dominant form? Were the Steelers right to give him that extension? Let us know in the comments. 

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