Sep 14, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) reacts against the Seattle Seahawks at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Steelers' T.J. Watt Could Make AFC North History

Originally posted on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI
By Noah Strackbein | Last updated Oct 12, 2025 10:00 AM ET

The Pittsburgh Steelers host the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 before taking a road trip to Cincinnati in Week 7 to face the Bengals. The two AFC North matchups are their first of the season, and could mark a historic moment for linebacker T.J. Watt.

Watt already holds the record for most AFC North sacks with 48. He surpassed former Baltimore Ravens legend last season, claiming his spot as the best to ever to do in a division with some historic names.

But this season, he has a shot to seperate himself even more, and has two games in five days to do so.

T.J. Watt's Shot at Historic Mark

With two more sacks against AFC North teams, and two chances on the horizon against the Browns and Bengals, Watt would become the first player in division history to ever hit the 50 AFC North sacks mark.

Dillon Gabriel and Joe Flacco would be the two quarterbacks he'd face to get the job done. The Browns have given up 11 sacks this season, and the Bengals, who just traded with Cleveland for Flacco, have given up 15 sacks in 2025.

Kareem Elgazzar-Imagn Images

Watt has had a pretty busy two weeks. In the NFL, he flew to Dublin, Ireland for the Steelers overseas game and recorded a sack while he was over there. The week prior, he recorded two sacks against the New England Patriots. And just before his game against the Browns, he turned 31 years old.

Maybe the birthday celebration will come with another historic milestone of his NFL and AFC North career.

Steelers AFC North Chances Growing

The Steelers didn't come into the 2025 season as the favorites in the AFC North, and depending on which sports book you're looking at, they still are underdogs to the Baltimore Ravens. But they currently hold a lead over everyone in the division, with the Bengals being the closest to them with a 2-3 record.

With wins over the Browns and Bengals in the next week, the Steelers can expand their lead to 4.5 games if they win the next two games and Cincinnati losses the next two games.

A historic day from Watt, or even a historic week can help the Steelers do just that, and while Watt probably doesn't even know the milestone is within reach, he's certainly looking for a win.

The Steelers former Defensive Player of the Year has 19 tackles, three sacks, five tackles for loss, a fumble recovery and an interception this season.

This article first appeared on Pittsburgh Steelers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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