TJ Watt says Steelers’ playoff losing has been ‘unacceptable’

TJ Watt is proud of what he has done in his Pittsburgh Steelers career — with the exception of one thing.

The Steelers have made the postseason in 8 of the last 11 seasons, which is quite impressive. However, they have not won a playoff game since 2016. They have gone 0-5 in the playoffs since drafting Watt in 2017, and they are 0-4 in playoff games where he has played. Watt is not happy about that.

Watt sat down with Graham Bensinger for an interview on “In Depth with Graham Bensinger” and was asked what motivates him. He mentioned his playoff record.

“Trying to be the best. Trying to be the best that I can be… And winning a Super Bowl is no doubt motivating me and winning a playoff game is absolutely motivating me. It’s something that we haven’t been able to do since I’ve been there,” Watt said. “I think that’s absolutely unacceptable and that is what’s attached to my name right now and I have to answer for that. As much as it sucks, when you say, ‘TJ Watt: X, Y, Z’ you also say, ‘TJ Watt: Not won a playoff game.'”

Watt says he takes his poor postseason record personally, even though football is a team sport.

“Oh, it genuinely bothers me, because I’m a part of those teams. As much as I’m only one player – as much as whoever’s one player – like, you are putting your hand in the pile too. I feel like I can make a difference enough to help win a playoff game,” Watt said. “And to have that to your legacy, especially when you play for an organization that has six Super Bowls … It’s like TJ Watt: Yeah, great individual player. But what’s the team success? And that’s what really bothers me.”

The comment was made as part of a full interview that will be released in September.

Watt just signed a 3-year, $123 million contract extension with the Steelers. His $41 million average annual value is the highest for a non-quarterback in NFL history. He is a 7-time Pro Bowler and former NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He has 108 sacks across eight NFL seasons, including the record-tying 22.5 sacks he had in 2021.