The Pittsburgh Steelers are getting more than offseason conditioning from TJ Watt. Pittsburgh’s defensive leader has turned his summer training base in Wisconsin into a place where younger NFL players can learn, compete and prepare together. Watt is especially invested when those players share his locker room because every lesson he passes along can eventually help the Steelers move closer to the Super Bowl he is still chasing.
Jordan Schofield / SteelerNation (X: @JSKO_PHOTO)
Outside linebackers Nick Herbig (left) and TJ Watt (right) during 2025 training camp in Latrobe, PA for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Watt’s Wisconsin workouts have grown well beyond a small family session. The group included approximately 20 NFL players this summer, the largest turnout Watt said they have had. Pittsburgh teammates Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer and Riley Nowakowski were among the players connected to the work.
The setting gives Watt a chance to train while also extending the type of guidance he received early in life. JJ Watt and Derek Watt gave their younger brother two direct examples of what professional preparation looked like. TJ could ask questions, watch how they handled the offseason and understand the standards required before he ever became one of the NFL’s top defenders.
Watt now recognizes that he can provide the same access to players who are still trying to establish themselves. During his latest media availability, he described how much the Wisconsin group has expanded and named the Steelers teammates who joined him.
“It’s special. I saw Riley up there. He was up there for the draft. Obviously Jack and Herb. We had like 20 NFL guys. It was the biggest group we’ve ever had for the summer in Wisconsin,” Watt said.
The names represent different stages of development. Herbig is already an established part of Pittsburgh’s pass-rush rotation and has spent years studying Watt closely. Sawyer is entering his second season after showing enough as a rookie to remain part of a loaded outside linebacker room. Nowakowski is only beginning his NFL career after Pittsburgh selected him in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL Draft.
Their positions are not identical, but the habits they can absorb are transferable. Sawyer and Herbig can study Watt’s hand usage, pass-rush plan and approach to film. Nowakowski plays fullback and H-back, so his technical work looks different. He can still learn how an established veteran structures a summer, recovers between sessions and creates competition without waiting for training camp.
Nowakowski had already discussed the value of training with Watt and Herbig before the group gathered again. Pittsburgh’s rookie mentorship opportunity gives him direct access to two players whose careers have been built around effort and physical preparation. For a fifth-round pick trying to earn offensive and special teams roles, that example can shorten the adjustment to professional football.
Watt’s investment also carries a clear team purpose. Helping players from around the league does not conflict with his competitive nature, but Steelers teammates receive an extra level of attention. Their improvement can affect his own season, whether it comes through a fresher pass-rush rotation, stronger practice competition or better depth when injuries arrive.
Karl Roser / Pittsburgh Steelers
Steelers tight end/fullback Riley Nowakowski sprints forward as he goes through a drill while the players participate in 2026 offseason workouts.
Pittsburgh’s outside linebacker room shows how the approach can work. Watt remains the centerpiece, while Herbig has grown from a fourth-round prospect into a dangerous defender. Sawyer joined the rotation as another fourth-round pick and contributed as a rookie. The three players compete for opportunities, but Watt can still help the younger rushers improve because their production makes the defense harder to handle.
A deeper rotation can protect Watt over a 17-game schedule without reducing his impact. Herbig and Sawyer earning trust would allow Pittsburgh to create different packages, keep rushers fresh and survive stretches when a starter is unavailable. Watt helping them does not train a replacement. It strengthens the group around him.
The same logic applies to Nowakowski. His offensive role may be separate from Watt’s work on defense, but a dependable fullback can help Pittsburgh control games. Nowakowski’s ability to block, contribute on special teams and move around the formation could earn him an immediate job under Mike McCarthy. Learning the daily standard from Watt can help him prove he is ready for those responsibilities.
Watt explained that his willingness to help comes from what his brothers provided and the championship goal that continues to drive him.
“For me, I always had my brothers to look up to and ask questions, and Herb has an older brother who’s done it as well, but just to be able to offer as much as I can to those younger guys to help them grow, whether on the field, whether off the field, I’m willing to do,” Watt said. “Especially if they’re a Steeler, I’m trying to do everything I possibly can to win a Super Bowl.”
Steelers Can Turn Watt’s Leadership Into A Competitive Edge
The Steelers do not need Watt to become an unofficial coach before his playing career ends. They need him healthy, disruptive and capable of changing games. His offseason leadership can support those goals instead of distracting from them. A strong training group pushes Watt while giving younger teammates a close look at the process behind his production.
The benefits may not appear as one obvious training camp storyline. Herbig could recognize a protection faster. Sawyer could finish a rush with better hand placement. Nowakowski could understand how to recover after a difficult practice and return ready the next morning. Small improvements across several players can become meaningful over an entire season.
Watt’s Super Bowl goal also gives the workouts urgency. Pittsburgh has not won a postseason game during his career, and individual honors no longer define what he wants from the remaining years. Helping teammates develop is one more way to attack a problem that cannot be solved by one defender alone.
The Wisconsin sessions will not guarantee Pittsburgh a championship. They do show the team’s most accomplished player is willing to share what he knows instead of protecting it. Watt once leaned on his brothers for answers. He now has enough experience to provide those answers to the next group.
Herbig, Sawyer and Nowakowski still have to turn the summer work into production. Watt is giving them a better place to start. Every Steelers player who improves in Wisconsin gives Pittsburgh another piece that could help finish the season where Watt wants it to end.
#SteelerNation