Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) against the Chicago Bears during the second half at Soldier Field. Mike Dinovo-Imagn Images

Steelers' T.J. Watt breaks a family sack record in Week 12

By Conor Killmurray | Last updated Nov 23, 2025 5:20 PM ET

Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end T.J. Watt hit a major career milestone that also made Watt family history on Sunday.

Watt recorded his 115th career sack when he strip-sacked Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams early in the second quarter of their Week 12 matchup. Watt's sack allowed linebacker Nick Herbig to land on the live ball and get a defensive touchdown for the Steelers.

That alone would be a special way for Watt to get his 115th sack, but the icing on the cake was that Watt surpassed his Hall-of-Fame brother's career sack number. In his 12-year career, J.J. Watt recorded 114.5 sacks, putting him at 26th on the all-time sack leaders list, before his brother overtook him on that list. T.J.'s older brother also had a front row seat to his sack as he was on the call for the CBS broadcast.

"I mean, if he's going to pass my record, that's one hell of a way to do it. A strip sack causing a touchdown, good for you, T.J.," J.J. Watt said on the broadcast.

WHAT A WAY TO PASS YOUR BROTHER

TJ Watt's 115th career sack not only leads to a @steelers TD, but passes @JJWatt in career sacks pic.twitter.com/6mVgQWBhHy
— NFL on CBS (@NFLonCBS) November 23, 2025

T.J. Watt's effort still not enough for Steelers to win

T.J. Watt's sack on Sunday was just his seventh sack of the year and his second forced fumble. This season has been quiet for the All-Pro pass rusher, especially coming off a three-year, $123 million contract extension. Still, T.J. Watt is one of the pass-rushers in the league and has been an anchor for Pittsburgh since the team drafted him in 2017.

The Steelers defense as a whole, though, hasn't been a dominant unit in 2025. On Sunday, they allowed 328 yards of offense and 5.4 yards per play. Pittsburgh rallied back, though, and T.J. Watt had another pressure on Williams that resulted in a turnover, allowing the Steelers one last opportunity to try and tie the game.

Backup quarterback Mason Rudolph wasn't able to seize the opportunity, and the Bears won 31-28. The Steelers are now 6-5 and behind the surging 6-5 Baltimore Ravens in second place in the AFC North.

If the Steelers want to win the division, T.J. Watt and the rest of the defense are going to have to play their best football for the remainder of the season.

Conor Killmurray

Conor Killmurray is a long-suffering fan of New York sports, particularly the Giants and Mets—a potent combination for heartbreak, if you ask him. He graduated from West Chester University with a degree in English and enjoys searching for the most interesting sports stories to write about.

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