LUCY SCHALY / POST-GAZETTE
Steelers star linebacker TJ Watt (90) sacks 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) during a regular season NFL game.
In the 2023 season, Steelers’ standout linebacker TJ Watt emerged as a force to be reckoned with, leading the league in sacks with an impressive tally of 19. However, despite his undeniable prowess on the field, Watt found himself overlooked when the time came to bestow the coveted honor.
Steelers’ TJ Watt Frustrated By DPOY Snub
In a display of frustration and disappointment, Watt took to social media just an hour before the NFL Honors ceremony to express his discontent with being snubbed for the Defensive Player of the Year Award. His sentiments echoed the sentiments of many fans and analysts who believed that Watt’s exceptional performance warranted recognition at the highest level.
NFL great and brother of Watt, JJ Watt, joined The Pat McAfee Show to discuss his thoughts on the controversy surrounding TJ’s DPOY rejection. When questioned about TJ’s choice to forego the ceremony, JJ emphasized the pointlessness of going to an occasion where the result was already known.
“Why would he be there? What did he need to be there for? There’s no reason for him to be there. He didn’t win. What are you going to do? Sit in the crowd?”
He stood firmly behind TJ’s choice to abstain from the ceremony, empathizing with his frustration and understanding his desire not to participate in a ceremony where victory was out of reach.
“No, like what are we mad at him for being frustrated? No, he should be frustrated. Yeah, I don’t blame him whatsoever for being frustrated.”
In a candid exchange with Pat McAfee, JJ reflected on the challenges faced by defensive players in garnering recognition for their contributions on the field. McAfee asked JJ what TJ would do if he won the award next season. JJ responded with intense pessimism.
“I mean you have seen how that pattern goes. What does he got to do? 50 sacks? What do you want? It is what it is man. I truly don’t want to take away from any of the other players. Like that’s not what I’m here to do. I think Myles [Garrett] is an unbelievable player. I think he’s a great football player so I don’t want to take away from him at all.”
He expressed doubts that TJ will ever get the recognition he so richly deserves and questioned the standards by which defensive excellence is judged.JJ’s comments emphasized the general belief held by a large number of players and fans that biases and irregularities may exist in the NFL’s award system.
The uproar over TJ’s DPOY snub was intensified by remarks made by linebacker Michah Parsons of the Dallas Cowboys. After the ceremony, Parsons made waves when he said that TJ wasn’t even in the NFL’s top five pass rushers. Both fans and experts were incredulous and outraged by this claim. JJ countered Parsons’ contradicting words with a sarcastic commentary that brought the ridiculousness of the situation to light.
“And the stats, but not the stats, but and the stats, but definitely not the stats, but look at the stats. I think the internet handled that properly. That’s what we are dealing with man.”
Tone Digz joined in on the joke and suggested that Parsons was already the chosen winner by the NFL for next year’s DPOY Award. JJ laughed and agreed with him. Hinting at the NFL pushing an agenda to avoid a narrative of voters fatigue.
TJ’s outstanding results in important statistical categories served as a major selling point for his DPOY Award candidacy. The Cleveland Browns’ defensive end, Myles Garrett, finally eclipsed TJ despite his domination on the field, leaving Steelers supporters disappointed and resentful. The disparity between TJ’s perceived lack of acknowledgment and his statistical accomplishments cast doubt on the impartiality and integrity of the award selection procedure.
The story of TJ’s DPOY omission is a moving reminder of the subjectivity and randomness that come with winning in professional sports. Even though TJ’s performance was very impressive and demonstrated his talent and influence on the field, the fact that he was left off of the list of award recipients highlighted the difficulties defensive players experience in getting the credit they merit. Whatever the outcome of the ongoing discussion, one thing is certain: TJ will always be remembered as one of the NFL’s most formidable defensive players, regardless of the honors the league bestows upon him.
