The Pittsburgh Steelers' 2025 season did not end the way many hoped, after the team earned an AFC North title and a home playoff game. The team's defense struggled mightily at times, and the pass rush, which is usually the strong point, was not quite as dominant as usual. Not to say there weren't some bright moments, but compared to previous years, it wasn't as good as it usually is. One of the reasons for this was star edge rusher TJ Watt's play. He suffered a freak lung injury that sidelined him for several games, but even when he was healthy, things just didn't feel the same. This led to some speculation of the team making a potential trade involving Watt, but his contract and play make that very difficult to happen.
Taylor Ollason / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt creates a turnover on Jalen Hurts during a Week 15 matchup.
Watt is a former Defensive Player of the Year and is the Steelers' franchise leader in sacks. Since being drafted in 2017, he's been one of the league's best pass rushers. He's been one of the main reasons that Pittsburgh's defense has had a resurgence as of late. However, last season's defense was subpar. Watt wasn't nearly as explosive as years past, and his numbers took a significant dip, even considering the injury. His mere seven sacks were tied for the lowest mark of his career; however, double teams and chips played a huge part in that.
Former Steelers defensive lineman Breiden Fehoko appeared on the Kaboly + Mack Show to discuss the upcoming season. He discussed the reasoning for why his former teammate, Watt, struggled in 2025. Fehoko pointed to the defense's poor scheming as the reason why. Offenses were able to crack the code on stopping the Steelers' pass rush, especially against Watt.
"When that scheme is so heavily dependent on the edge rushers to get home -- to have this boom or bust mentality, like, 'Hey, TJ, we need you to get home. TJ get a sack-fumble for us, TJ do this, TJ do that.' To me, playing there for three years, I felt like the Steelers were so reliant on the front four. When you do that, teams can scheme very easily to isolate those guys and create mismatches for them," Fehoko said.
Fehoko clued in on the fact that teams were very easily figuring out ways to counter the Steelers' pass rushers. They would chip Watt, double-team him, and make him a non-factor. As long as protection held up, they could pick apart the Pittsburgh defense easily.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers' TJ Watt after a play against the Chiefs in Week 17 of the 2024 season.
Fehoko then went on to explain very specific scenarios where Watt can be a big part of the game in 2026 and ways that the new defensive coordinator, Patrick Graham, could utilize Watt in different ways. This includes constantly shifting where he lines up and giving him favorable matchups.
"I wanna see TJ move around more. I don't wanna see them just isolate TJ to just his side. When you do that, offenses can tee off on him; they can send a chipper. I love to see TJ even line up over a center, put TJ in a three-tech, do some three-man loop stunts inside. All of those things you can do, that I felt like Pittsburgh did not tap into because of the traditional mindset, because it's been so successful for a long time, but the game is evolving," Fehoko said.
The Steelers have a chance to change some of the nuances of their defense, which can really help them be less predictable. This can really help Watt and his fellow edge rushers to get back to the dominance that they have had over the last few seasons. A change in coordinator could help these guys get back to what put them on the map.
Alysa Rubin / Pittsburgh Steelers
Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker TJ Watt (90) during practice at the UPMC Rooney Sports Complex, preparing for a Week 9 matchup against the Indianapolis Colts, Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025, in Pittsburgh, PA.
Watt is one of the most skilled edge rushers in the league. It feels like a comeback season is in order for Watt if he can stay healthy and if his defensive scheme benefits him next season.
Steelers Need Graham To Make Some Big Changes
The defensive scheme was exposed a ton in 2025. Not only with the pass rush issues, but the secondary and some communication issues that lingered even into the later parts of the season. The scheme became extremely predictable, but also complicated for some players. Graham has an opportunity to right the ship, especially with how talented this roster is. 2026 will be a big test for the defense.
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