T.J. Watt has been a centerpiece of the Pittsburgh Steelers defense since he was selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft.
Living up to the family name established by his older brother J.J., Watt is a one-man wrecking crew for the Steelers, and has been named first-team All-Pro four times, and won Defensive Player of the Year in 2021.
Watt hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, but he will turn 30 during the 2024 season, and after the elder Watt retired at 33 years old, and Aaron Donald’s recent retirement at 32, it’s impossible to tell just how long a top-tier defensive talent will decide to keep on pushing.
For now, Watt is trying not to worry about it.
“I don’t know if I want to play forever, but who knows? It is too hard to say,” Watt said, per Mark Kaboly of The Athletic. “J.J. always said he didn’t want to play super long, then things happened and he ended up playing longer. I won’t know until that moment comes. I feel great right now, so I am kind of just living in the moment.”
While Watt’s timeline for his career remains an open question, his goals for the coming year and the rest of his NFL future are quite clear. Having not yet won a playoff game with the Steelers, Watt is looking to make a postseason run sooner rather than later.
“For me, it is all about no playoff wins,” Watt said. “I am trying to do anything I can do. We have so much turnover year to year and so many new guys that it is trying to learn as much as possible coming from guys from other organizations that have done it and won championships since being in the league.”
The Steelers are 0–4 in the postseason since Watt was drafted, having not won a playoff game since their run to the AFC Championship in 2016.
It might be an uphill battle for Pittsburgh to change that this year, as they are currently listed as the biggest underdogs to win the AFC North, which currently looks like the toughest division in football.
That said, a lot could change for the Steelers in 2024. With a revamped offense and a returning defensive core that includes Watt, Cameron Heyward, and plenty more talent, Pittsburgh could be due for success.