Apparent Training Camp Struggles For Steelers' TJ Watt Fully Explained

The Pittsburgh Steelers' defense wasn't necessarily consistent throughout the course of the 2025 campaign. Injuries played a big part in that, but other factors came to the surface as well that left fans questioning a lot once the offseason rolled around. With a new coaching regime in town, there will be no excuses for any of the players if their performances are still subpar. One of the leaders of the unit, TJ Watt, has a lot to prove moving forward because he only had seven total sacks, which tied the second-worst total of his career. The team needs him to step up in a big way in 2026.

The Steelers are at their best on the defensive side of the ball when Watt is wreaking havoc. As talented as the group is altogether, the former AP Defensive Player of the Year has the ability to take the unit to the next level. If he is performing well, everyone else around him tends to attract less attention, which leads to more dynamic plays for all parties involved.

He had an unfortunate injury in December of 2025 when a dry-needling incident led to a hole being punctured in his lung. He made a full recovery, but it certainly stopped his season in its tracks. Now, with training camp fully underway, a lot of pressure is on the former first-round pick to return to form. His contract certainly calls for top-notch statistics.

One of the great things about late July and early August is that fans have the ability to watch teams practice. A lot has been circulating about Watt and him being pretty quiet during the sessions that have been available to the public and media.

Ray Fittipaldo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette hosted a fan chat on Wednesday to field questions regarding the state of the 2026 Steelers. Someone was curious about Watt's apparent poor start to camp. According to the reporter, it isn't what it seems. The edge rusher has been vocal in the past about what he likes to do at this time of year.

"He's not winning a lot of reps in 1-on-1s, but I know from covering TJ in years past, he's not exactly going 100 mph in these drills," Fittipaldo wrote. "He has talked in the past about wanting to help the tackles. So yes, he's working on their moves, but he's also helping to bring along the tackles as almost a coach on the field."

Not only is Watt potentially taking it easy as he plans to enter his 10th professional season, but he also wants to do what he can to help his teammates. That's what a good captain does. If the fire alarm was sounding in the minds of any Steelers fans, it can calmly be turned off because it appears as if the All-Pro is doing just fine at the moment.

It would be fair to worry about Watt struggling a bit, but it appears as if that might just be based on some observations that don't include the full story. Additionally, the team is no longer doing live tackling in practice, and Watt has made a living getting into the backfield and disrupting run plays. Fans will have a great idea of how good of shape he is in down the road; however, it might not be until Week 1 of the 2026 NFL season.

Steelers Have Nothing To Worry About When It Comes To Watt

Pittsburgh likely has far greater concerns than Watt not completely dominating training camp practices. If anything, what he is doing will help in the long run because the offensive line still has to live up to high expectations. Right now, there is nothing to truly be worried about regarding the dominant pass rusher. He should be ready to go and looking to bounce back in 2026.

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