Steelers Have Thrilling News About TJ Watt: "He Cannot Be Stubborn"

The Pittsburgh Steelers have been scrutinized in recent years due to the lack of results from the defensive side of the ball. The franchise is known for its defenses over the years, and the unit simply has not been good recently. If anything, the group has been opportunistic at times, but that is not sustainable. The organization has poured a ton of resources into that side of the ball as it is consistently one of the highest-paid defensive units in the NFL, but the results have just not been there as of late. The unit has been embarrassed over the past few years, and fans are hoping that changes with the new coaching staff coming to town.

The defense in 2025 was disappointing overall, but an especially underwhelming aspect of the group was the pass rush, specifically outside linebacker TJ Watt. He had just seven sacks on the year, but he did make an impact in other areas. Hopefully, Watt is able to return to securing double-digit sacks while also impacting the game in other ways, and new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham might just be the type of coach that can make something like that happen.

When Graham first took the job in Pittsburgh, he spoke about how he doesn't have any sort of defensive signatures as a coach; he adjusts his system and his schemes based on the strengths of the players he has on the roster. In this case, the Steelers are strong at outside linebacker with Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, and Jack Sawyer. Beat writer Mike DeFabo spoke about this group on 93.7 The Fan on Monday, and he explained why he thinks Watt could have a bounce back year in 2026.

"I think you'll see the three edge rushers on the field more than you see TJ switch sides," DeFabo said. "But he is going to move more, he's talked about he was stubborn in the past, and to some degree, it's basically built into their front structure that he has to move around. He cannot be stubborn this year. When we talked to Patrick Graham, he was explaining his approach to pressure, he isn't trying to create a free rusher, he is trying to create one-on-one situations. He believes in his guys to win those."

Watt, Highsmith, and Herbig are expected to be on the field together quite a bit in 2026, and it is still a bit unclear what that might look like. However, it will involve Watt moving around the defensive formation, which is something he has tried not to do in the past. He even admitted to being stubborn about it earlier in training camp.

Steelers' TJ Watt Has All The Tools For A Strong Bounce-Back Season

Watt had a down year in 2025, and part of that can be attributed to the anomaly that was his collapsed lung that caused him to miss time. He is at full strength now, and fans would love to see him return to dominance. Having three edge rushers on the field should help with that, as will moving around the formation. He should be able to take advantage of the one-on-one matchups that Graham tries to create. DeFabo spoke more about Watt.

"I think Patrick Graham is going to focus on how he can get TJ Watt more one-on-one situations and scheme him into opportune situations. He did it with Maxx Crosby a lot," DeFabo said. "If you're hoping and expecting a bounce back for TJ Watt, I think that a new defensive coordinator that is an expert when it comes to these front structures, that's really what you have to hope for."

DeFabo seems to have a lot of trust in Graham to get the most out of Watt and the rest of the pass rushers on the roster. He attributes this to his experience and his expertise when it comes to working with defensive fronts.

What do you expect from Watt in 2026? Let me know on X, @brogannoey!

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