Steelers' Latest TJ Watt Trend Sparks Debate About Defensive Future In 2026

The Pittsburgh Steelers are heading into the 2026 season with one of the most talented rosters they have assembled in years, but not every conversation this offseason has been positive. While the additions on offense have generated genuine excitement, there is a question lurking on the defensive side of the ball that nobody has wanted to address directly until now. 

The Athletic's Mike DeFabo sat down with WPXI's Jenna Harner on a recent episode of The Yinziders podcast and named his five most important Steelers heading into 2026. When he got to his choice and the reasoning behind it, the conversation took a turn that every Steelers fan needs to hear. DeFabo did not sugarcoat what he has been seeing from one of the most decorated defenders in Steelers history. He laid out the numbers clearly, acknowledged the elephant in the room, and raised the question that has been on everyone's mind but nobody has been willing to say out loud.

"Last year for TJ Watt was a rough year," DeFabo explained. "His sack numbers have been down. He had 19 sacks in 2023, 11.5 sacks in 2024, and then last year, he had seven sacks and 10 tackles for loss. That was in both of those statistical categories, his lowest output since 2022 when he tore his PCL the first game of the season. The question with TJ Watt is are you seeing a trend? It's now three years where it's fewer and fewer sacks, less and less production. Is this trend going to continue? Does the curve continue in that direction, or does he suddenly abruptly snap it and return to All-Pro form, Defensive Player of the Year-type of form?"

That is a question that cuts right to the heart of everything the Steelers are trying to build in 2026. TJ Watt is the highest-paid player on this roster. He is the face of this defense. He is the player that opposing offenses spend the most time game planning around. And for three straight seasons, his production has been trending in the wrong direction. 

As SteelerNation previously covered, the reason behind Watt's disappointing 2025 campaign has already been exposed with the old defensive scheme leaving him isolated and double-teamed on nearly every snap, and now DeFabo is putting a name to the concern that has been building all offseason long.

Steelers' TJ Watt Enters 2026 With Everything To Prove

To be fair to Watt, there are real reasons to believe the decline is correctable. The punctured lung that the Steelers accidentally caused during the 2025 season was a devastating injury that robbed him of any chance at a healthy full season. The old defensive scheme under Teryl Austin was predictable and allowed offenses to chip Watt and double-team him on nearly every passing down, which made it nearly impossible for even the best pass rusher in the league to produce at his usual level. Now everything around him has changed. New defensive coordinator Patrick Graham has already talked about moving Watt around the formation to create different looks and matchups that opposing offenses cannot simply scheme away. Nick Herbig getting paid means he will play more snaps, which takes pressure off Watt to be on the field every single down. Alex Highsmith remains a legitimate threat on the other side that forces offenses to account for multiple pass rushers simultaneously.

DeFabo acknowledged all of those factors and made clear he expects Watt to bounce back. However, his point was not whether Watt will improve. His point was about the magnitude of what is at stake. The Steelers are paying Watt like the best defender in football. They are going into a season where they genuinely believe they can compete for a championship. If Watt does not return to something close to his All-Pro form under Graham's new scheme, the questions about his contract and his future with this franchise are only going to get louder.

What do you think about DeFabo's take on TJ Watt heading into the 2026 season? Let me know on X @hagenbackus94!

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