The rest of the NFL just gave Steelers' T.J. Watt even more motivation following ESPN's league-wide poll on the top pass rushers

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Rob Gregson | Last updated Jul 9, 2025 4:58 PM ET

T.J. Watt looks around and sees a lot of discredit.

His own team, the Pittsburgh Steelers, are hesitant to pay him what he wants, as he sits amidst a contract dispute.

And now, once again, the rest of the NFL has him playing second fiddle to his biggest rival...

T.J. Watt ranks second at EDGE in ESPN poll of league personnel

"He's still the gold standard for me," a veteran AFC defensive coach told Jeremy Fowler of ESPN. "He completely wrecks a game and he can do everything . . .

" . . . I thought he wore down a little bit," added a coordinator when talking about Watt down the stretch. "But their whole defense did. I think they just got tired, and the struggles on offense could have played a role."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Pittsburgh Steelers (@steelers)

It's the second year in a row that Watt is ranked behind Myles Garrett. But I think context needs ro be added to get the full scale of what happened with Watt down the last month of the season. Yes, he looked like he took a step back.

Yes, he wasn't as explosive, productive, or noticeable. I know that he didn't record a single stat in the beat down that was the team's loss to the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs.

But Watt was playing on one ankle. He skipped the Pro Bowl, and honestly, if it was earlier in the season, he probably misses a few games the same way that Alex Highsmith did.

Surely that's part of the holdup in his contract dispute. Watt knows the Steelers don't win games when he's not on the field. 1-10 all time without him. But the Steelers have now seen Watt miss significant time in 2022 with a pec injury, miss the playoff game in 2023 against the Buffalo Bills, and injure his ankle and compromise the end of his 2024 season.

That's obviously not Watt's fault, and to say he's taken a step back isn't fully fair, but durability is a big factor in rankings, contract negotiations and the prospects of one's future.

It's up to Watt to stay on the field and show everyone he is still or can get back to, being the best pass rusher in the league.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: