Steelers accused of lying about TJ Watt

The Pittsburgh Steelers are not afraid to pay talented players on the defensive side of the ball. This much has become known throughout the NFL given the fact that the organization has consistently had the highest-paid unit in the league for several years. At the very top of that list is 2021 AP Defensive Player of the Year TJ Watt. His incredible career with the franchise has led to high expectations, and that can sometimes be unfair for a player, regardless of how much he is compensated. In 2025, the edge rusher only was able to secure seven sacks in what was one of his worst years as a professional.

With Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig also playing on significant deals, the Steelers have to get the absolute best out of the pass rushers in order to justify the trio's expensive price tag. While all three are seriously talented, the schemes put in place by Mike Tomlin and Teryl Austin might not have allowed them all to truly wreak havoc on opposing offenses week-in and week-out.

Now, Patrick Graham will be in charge and things are expected to be different. One of the many approaches that could change has to do with Watt and where he lines up. Some of the best edge rushers in the NFL move around quite consistently in order to confuse quarterbacks on the other side of the ball. It might work wonders for Pittsburgh if Watt were to be flying all over the place instead of just going up against a right tackle every snap.

Despite the excitement and discussion surrounding the Steelers using Watt all over the defensive side of the ball, an insider recently had a warning for anyone believing that the practice plans will translate to the regular season. During a segment on Training Camp All Access, Gerry Dulac admitted no one should be buying what the team is selling.

"Once again, the Steelers and TJ Watt are talking about moving him around to create more space for him to be more impactful," Dulac said. "We've seen his sack numbers decline in the last year and a half, so they want to try and make him — get him some more room to get back to where he was. But, I'll tell you what... Until I see it, I'm not gonna believe it."

Dulac is around the team essentially all year long, so it's notable that he is calling Pittsburgh's bluff. It has been very publicly spoken about, so is it at all possible that the Steelers are lying about it just to confuse the upcoming opposition?

This isn't the first time that the Steelers have stated that Watt will be shifting all over the place, and it might not be the last. There is a possibility, however, the coaching staff is trying to replicate what Mike McCarthy and Dom Capers did with Clay Matthews for the Green Bay Packers.

"They've talked about it before," Dulac noted. "They referenced Clay Matthews when he was with Green Bay; they brought him in to be that kind of guy. That was Dom Capers' defense. Dom Capers designed this defense in 1992 so until I see them do it, I'm not believing that TJ Watt is gonna move around a lot this year to try and find a weakness in the offensive line."

Time will tell, but it sure feels like there still needs to be some actions that back up the words coming from training camp. Watt likely will see very little, if any, time in the preseason, so the countdown is on until Week 1.

Steelers Need The Best Possible Version Of Watt In 2026

Father Time will get to anybody eventually, and Watt may now be experiencing a little bit of that reality himself. However, just because his burst isn't what it was a decade ago doesn't mean that he isn't still one of the most talented edge rushers in the league. He could have a heck of a season if he buys into what the new system might be asking of him. As Dulac noted, though, fans will believe it when they see it.