T.J. Watt will enter his eighth season with the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2024. He’s made the Pro Bowl every year but his first, won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021, and has the most sacks of any Steeler in team history.
He has solidified his place as one of the best defensive players in today’s NFL, and if Watt were to retire today, he is likely a Hall of Famer. His play in 2024 and onward will determine if he becomes an NFL legend.
As interesting, at least for Steelers fans, is where T.J. Watt will stand compared to the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers’ defensive players in franchise history when he is done. This upcoming season could elevate him to the next level with names like Lambert, Greene, and Polamalu.
Another Pro Bowl, an All-Pro team, and a pedestrian (by his standards) 15 sacks, will give Watt seven Pro Bowls and five All-Pro nominations in eight seasons, and push his sack total to 111.5.
With the acquisition of quarterback Russell Wilson and some of the other roster moves the Steelers have made in the offseason, Watt even has a realistic shot at a Super Bowl for the first time in his career.
Here’s how he’ll compare against five Steeler Hall of Famers with a convincing performance in 2024.
T.J. Watt Compared to the All-Time Best Steelers Defensive Players
Rod Woodson (1987-1996)
With a strong 2024, it is reasonable to put T.J. Watt on par with a player of Woodson’s caliber. Early on, their careers took similar paths. Like Watt, Woodson was a legitimate superstar when the Pittsburgh Steelers needed one.
As a Steeler, Woodson earned seven Pro Bowls, five All-Pro teams, and a Defensive Player of the Year award in 1993. He ranks third in NFL history for career interceptions with 71 and holds the records for fumble recoveries and interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Jack Ham (1971-1982)
Ham is one of the best outside linebackers in NFL history, but he played in a 4-3 system, so comparisons with Watt are tough from a performance standpoint. He also played most of his career before the NFL officially kept stats for sacks.
While it might seem blasphemous to many Steelers fans, Watt’s career accolades are a bit stronger than Hams. Of course, Jack Ham has four Super Bowl rings, something T.J. Watt is still working on.
Troy Polamalu (2003-2014)
It is hard to imagine the Pittsburgh Steelers winning two Super Bowls in the early 2000s without Troy Polamalu. His position was strong safety, but he could line up anywhere, and after the snap, he seemed to be everywhere.
Polamalu made eight Pro Bowls and four All-Pro teams and earned Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. Again, comparable to T.J. Watt’s resume so far. The tough question is, how much do Super Bowl wins matter when comparing players of different eras?
Jack Lambert (1974-1984)
This is the point where any sane-minded football fan puts on the breaks. One could make a strong case that T.J. Watt is in the same league as Woodson, Ham, and Polamalu, but Jack Lambert was something different.
Lambert was a nine-time Pro Bowler, six-time All-Pro, Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1974, Defensive Player of the Year in 1976, and a four-time Super Bowl champion.
T.J. Watt may get there, but he has some work to do before he surpasses Jack Lambert as the greatest Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker of all time.
Joe Greene (1969-1981)
The Pittsburgh Steelers dynasty of the 1970s started with Joe Greene. He was the first player picked by new head coach Chuck Noll, and he became one of the most dominant defensive tackles in the NFL. Just as importantly, his attitude and disdain for losing set the tone for the entire franchise.
He made the Pro Bowl 10 times in his 13-year career, along with four All-Pro teams. He earned Defensive Player of the Year twice, and Defensive Rookie of the Year in 1969. His No. 75 jersey is one of only three officially retired by the Steelers.
No doubt, with a strong 2024 and onward, T.J. Watt will be remembered as one of the best Steelers defensive players in franchise history. However, it is hard to imagine any Pittsburgh Steeler equalling what Greene did on the field, or what he has meant to the franchise.
Statistical Reference
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