Around the NFL Writer
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt earned the Defensive Player of the Year award last season while tying the NFL’s all-time sack record of 22.5. But Watt doesn’t view himself as the best player in his own family just yet.
Asked on the Pivot Podcast, who is the better player, he or brother J.J. Watt — currently playing with the Arizona Cardinals — T.J. said he still doesn’t stack up to J.J.’s career.
“This is like a real thing. I do think it’s misconstrued…I want people to understand how great my brother truly was in his prime,” Watt said. “I think it gets lost today, and I know he’d be upset if I said this, but I think it truly is. You go back, and you look, you watch the film, the guy was frickin’ unstoppable. Absolutely unstoppable. He’ll never say it, but it’s like, I think people need to go back and look at that. The guy was doing incredible things for four or five years, and I think he can still play at a high level. I think I’m too early in my career to compare myself to him at the moment, honestly.”
J.J. Watt won three DPOY awards (2012, 2014, 2015) and finished second in MVP voting in 2014. The elder Watt generated two seasons of 20.5 sacks (2012, 2014) and added another 17.5 sack campaign in 2015. He mauled dudes and wreaked havoc during his heyday in Houston. Injuries have derailed the Herculean human, relegating him to eight or fewer games in four of the past six years.
T.J. Watt is off to a hot start in his career, earning 72.0 sacks in his first five seasons. It’s the third-most all-time in a player’s first five NFL seasons, behind Reggie White‘s 81 and — you guessed it — J.J. Watt’s 74.5.
T.J. is correct. He’s not to his brother’s level yet. But there is time for the younger sibling to chase him down.
NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and prime-time regular-season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand and more! Wherever you are, this is how you football! Learn more about NFL+.
A day after getting plenty of air time on “Hard Knocks,” rookie LB Malcolm Rodriguez got starting reps at Lions practice on Wednesday.
By multiple accounts, the Packers’ young wide receivers took quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ Tuesday remarks in stride on Wednesday.
Rams QB Matthew Stafford (elbow) said he “felt good” the day following a team scrimmage where he participated in full, but wouldn’t put a timetable on when or if the nagging injury will go away.
Fights have peppered both sessions of the Panthers and Patriots joint practices, something which members of both teams said was unfortunate and limited the time spent actually practicing and working on football.
Bengals QB Joe Burrow, who’s partaking in 11-on-11 practice on Wednesday, discusses his ongoing recovery from the appendectomy he underwent almost three weeks ago.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame announced on Wednesday that linebacker Chuck Howley, defensive lineman Joe Klecko and defensive back Ken Riley are the three senior finalists for the Class of 2023.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman is being evaluated for a groin injury. Find out what other news NFL.com is tracking on Wednesday.
Derwin James signed a four-year, $76.5 million extension with the Chargers that will make him the highest-paid safety in NFL history, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported Wednesday.
Following Tuesday’s intense, fight-filled practice between the Panthers and Patriots, Carolina DEs Brian Burns and Yetur Gross-Matos spent about 30 minutes working with New England’s edge rusher Matt Judon.
New England Patriots running back Rhamondre Stevenson has vastly improved in the pass game, according to head coach Bill Belichick. Stevenson’s growth could lead to more opportunities in the wake of James White’s retirement.
Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers expects heavy usage of running backs Aaron Jones and AJ Dillon in the passing game as the Packers look to replace the production of Davante Adams and Marquez Valdes-Scantling.
You won’t want to miss a moment of the 2022 season!
NFL+ gives you the freedom to watch LIVE out-of-market preseason games, LIVE local and primetime regular season and postseason games on your phone or tablet, the best NFL programming on-demand, and MORE!
© 2022 NFL Enterprises LLC. NFL and the NFL shield design are registered trademarks of the National Football League.The team names, logos and uniform designs are registered trademarks of the teams indicated. All other NFL-related trademarks are trademarks of the National Football League. NFL footage © NFL Productions LLC.
T.J. Watt says it's too early for comparisons with older brother J.J. Watt's 'unstoppable' prime – NFL.com

Leave a comment