Do the Pittsburgh Steelers have a T.J. Watt problem?

The Pittsburgh Steelers are no stranger to superstars on the roster, as they have 18 Hall of Fame players in their storied history. The joy and success that can come from having those kinds of incredibly talented players also bring a need for balance between ego, the team and the production you want to see from them. Experiences over the past decade with Le'Veon Bell and Antonio Brown showed the potential downside that can come from superstars. There is a difference between players being elite or franchise and being a superstar, though.

Superstars have the ability to take over a game, but truly elite, once-in-a-generation players take that to an entirely different level; simply by stepping onto the field, they immediately make their team better by leaps and bounds. Through the years, the Steelers have had the privilege of boasting several players who far-surpassed a superstar label and transformed their teams in an instant. "Mean" Joe Greene was the first of these, as he didn't just lift a franchise from the depths, he redefined what a defensive tackle was in the NFL. Ben Roethlisberger turned the act of pushing through injury into an art, consistently rising about whatever physical hindrances were in his way to always give his Steelers a chance to win. Those names anchored the history of an elite Steelers' past, but we can't forget that the career of one of those generational, game-changing, elite players is being written in front of the eyes of every fan wearing the black and gold; T.J. Watt.

There are innumerable joys that come from having a player of Watt's caliber on the team, but as Pittsburgh found out in 2022, there is also a level of foresight, patience, and responsibility that come with the less-appealing aspects of that elite talent — injuries. It is surprisingly easy for an organization to wear blinders when it comes to that specific, elite player on their squad. When that player is running on all, or even most of their cylinders, the temptation is to relax, kick back, and enjoy the success that is sure to come. Well, when T.J. Watt is on the field, that is an understandable approach to have, considering how the Steelers are a drastically better team with him on the gameday roster, but the other side of that coin is much less uplifting.

In the seven games that Watt was injured, the Steelers only won one game, tallied a paltry eight sacks, and averaged less than a takeaway a game (five total). The scoreboard also felt the pain, because when Watt wasn't on the field, Pittsburgh allowed 8.4 more points per game to opponents and also gave up 100 yards more in each contest. Every football fan knows that when a player of a Watt-like quality can't play, it's going to impact the game in a negative way, but what else should be done to try and minimize the downsides if/when that elite talent goes down?

Pittsburgh Steelers not alone in injury issues to stars

One of the more unspoken factors of not only having but keeping a player of that elite status on the field — and your team — is the ability and willingness to look ahead, assume that the player will not be permanently healthy, and then realistically address whatever possible results come about. The NFL is riddled with examples — both positive and negative — where teams got caught up in the peak performance of their franchise player and one injury derailed what had been decade-long plans. The Indianapolis Colts enjoyed a record-setting streak of 11+ win seasons with Peyton Manning under center, but then in September of 2011, Manning had the first of what would turn out to be multiple neck surgeries and would never play another game in a Colts uniform.

The sudden nature of this "possible decline" to "possible career-ending injury" took not only the Colts by absolute surprise, but the rest of the NFL as well. Peyton Manning was the face of the franchise and one of the most recognizable and respected in the league, now the future of a reliably brilliant player was in jeopardy — and so were the Colts. What had been the shining beacon for consistency both on and off the football field was now being exposed for a thin, one-man show. The backups for Peyton Manning were often compared to Ringo Starr in that they considered themselves just happy to be a part of the team, but when Paul, John, and George suddenly were unable to play, this version of Ringo was woefully unable to answer the call.

The Colts coaxed Kerry Collins, who was 38 years old and had retired not long before, out of retirement to be a bridge QB. The Colts still expected Manning to return to the field for them and the powers that be in Indianapolis deemed the other backups, Curtis Painter and Dan Orlovsky to be the answer to a 35-year-old phenom who had never missed a start in the regular season in his career (Manning). Collins went 0-3 before a concussion forced him to Injured Reserve (he would retire again that offseason), Curtis Painter limped to an 0-8 record before the hook came, and the third starter, Orlovsky, salvaged a 2-3 run that still clinched Indianapolis the upcoming first-overall draft pick (that pick would become Andrew Luck).

Other instances in NFL history show how a team can get overly focused on the accolades of a single player that the concept of a backup plan is beyond reality; Tom Brady and the still-trying-to-find-their-bearings New England Patriots and the Detroit Lions' inability to put any talent around Barry Sanders are two prominent examples. Another that hits closer to home is the last few years of the Ben Roethlisberger era where every year the fans waited for the successor to Roethlisberger to be chosen, only for it to be put off for another year. Thanks to a solid front office, legendary scouting, and a larger scope of vision than many franchises, the transition between quarterbacks has been as smooth as could be expected, considering the way every single fan held their breath on the 2022 Draft night to see if the Black and Gold would again shrug off the glaring need.

This all comes back to the "issue that wasn't an issue" until it suddenly was in 2022 when TJ Watt missed extended time. So, exactly what is the TJ Watt problem and how will the Steelers find an answer?

It seems like the knee-jerk reaction to how Watt's injury impacted the defense is to bring up Alex Highsmith's 14.5 sacks, which is certainly an accomplishment for a horrendously underrated player, but is also missing the point by a wide mark. If Highsmith did not step up during Watt's absence, then I would have actually been more surprised simply because we have seen the talent and production that he can bring opposite to Watt. It was something that was expected of him, and he answered that call. That perspective isn't necessarily the right angle to look at this from, though, because while Highsmith tallied a career-high 14.5 sacks during the 2022 season, the team only managed to get a total of 8 sacks during Watt's absence. Every aspect of the defense was negatively impacted by Watt not being on the field, a fact that can be true while also allowing for the defense holding their own when up against a very steep incline.

While this is not a Colts-Manning-Painter situation, in the back of almost every Steelers fan's mind is the knowledge that if the 1-6 record without Watt in 2022 would have taken one different turn and gotten just one more victory, the playoffs would have included the Steelers. Now, would the Steelers have made any noise in the postseason? That's purely for discussion and conjecture, but the fact remains that in a league where a few wins separate playoff teams and top-10 draft picks, the Steelers have no choice but to admit the possibility of future injuries to their generational pass-rusher and prepare accordingly.

Pittsburgh Steelers still missing a piece

What the Indianapolis Colts didn't have in 2011 was a dependable, talented squad with the ability to withstand challenges and grow from them. In 2022, the Steelers struggled through the seven games without T.J. Watt, but the blame wasn't fully on the defense. Since 2021, the Steelers have only scored 25 points or more in an underwhelming 7 games. In 2022 there were five teams that averaged over 25 points a game (Jaguars 25.5, Chiefs 29.3, Chargers 30.0, Dolphins 31.0, and Eagles 34.7).

With the knowledge that the offense and defense needed to be more prepared to carry the weight, if their franchise defensive stalwart isn't available, the Steelers have made strides this offseason that show they recognize the need for depth and widespread ability throughout the roster, but there is one aspect that still makes me think the Steelers have yet to fully acknowledge the "T.J. Watt Problem."

The Colts had no viable players behind Peyton Manning to step up, the same when Tom Brady left New England for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. That isn't to say that those teams didn't have talent, but when a player is at the level of a Watt or a Manning, it means that you can't simply expect things to shift about naturally and fill that gap. For all the "ra-ra" that it may elicit, "the next man up" policy falls short when it goes up against someone who literally takes over a game like Watt does on a regular basis.

In response to the return to running the ball, Pittsburgh brought in a slew of massive offensive linemen. Getting ready for a young, high-tier CB to join the team, they signed Patrick Peterson. Linebackers were brought in to solidify the desire to stop the run and still cover efficiently, and the defensive line has gotten love ahead of a possible DL draft pick, but with all these additions, the excitement surrounding a drastically different Steelers offseason, one thing is still missing: what about Watt?

What must the Pittsburgh Steelers still do?

It is simply realistic to admit that no single player can step in and do what T.J. Watt can do, which means the approach needs to be less focused and more aimed at finding a rotation of the Steelers' newly signed defensive depth, the draft picks that will be added in a few weeks and any further signings that can combine to make the TJ-sized hole a little less glaring than it was in 2022.

As of right now, I do not see the right mix of edge rushers, coverage linebackers, and defensive line combinations that will end up lessening the impact that another Watt injury could have on a season. Now, that doesn't mean everything is wrong and we should expect a shambles in 2023, all it means is that the Steelers are a mere one or two pieces from having that mix of efficiency, talent, and pressure that can simulate a Watt-like experience if it becomes a necessity.

This offseason has brought with it many positive steps forward, and different approaches that have already resulted in some dynamic signings, but until the Steelers make those moves that show they aren't just crossing their fingers against a Watt injury, they are preparing for it, I will be waiting for one of two outcomes. Either the front office will make some possibly shocking moves to bring in specific parts to create that quasi-T.J. mix, or we will watch during 2023 and hope that the warning in 2022 won't come back to bite us again.