What 'genuinely bothers' T.J. Watt about Steelers career

Following weeks of "will they or won't they" chatter, the Pittsburgh Steelers and pass-rusher T.J. Watt agreed to a three-year, $123M deal that included $108M guaranteed ahead of training camp. 

During a recent chat for an upcoming version of the "In Depth with Graham Bensinger" program, Watt spoke about why he isn't satisfied after he received his desired contract extension this summer. 

"Winning a Super Bowl is no doubt motivating me, and winning a playoff game is absolutely motivating me," Watt said, as shared by Troy Montgomery of Steelers Depot. "It's something that we haven't been able to do since I've been there. 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, 'T.J. Watt,' you say, 'T.J. Watt's not won a playoff game.'" 

Pittsburgh notched a divisional-round playoff win over the Kansas City Chiefs in January 2017, months before the AFC North side made Watt a first-round draft pick. Since then, the Mike Tomlin-led Steelers have gone 0-5 in postseason play. Most recently, Watt was responsible for no traditional stats during Pittsburgh's wild-card playoff loss to the Baltimore Ravens this past January. 

Some believed concerns about how Watt "wore down a little bit" during the second half of last season were among the supposed reasons Pittsburgh seemed a bit hesitant to pay the 30-year-old. Watt suggested during the interview that he feels he must be better during Pittsburgh's biggest games of any campaign. 

"Genuinely bothers me because I'm a part of those teams," Watt added about Pittsburgh's playoff record during his time with the organization. "As much as I'm only one player, as much as whoever's one player, you are putting your hand in the pile, too. I feel like I can make a difference enough to help win a playoff game."

As of Wednesday morning, DraftKings Sportsbook had a 2025 Steelers team looking to help quarterback Aaron Rodgers end his career "the right way" at +125 betting odds to make the playoffs. Pittsburgh will open the regular season with a matchup at the New York Jets, Rodgers' former club, on Sept. 7.