TJ Watt’s 2023 regular season was cut short due to an MCL sprain, but he still managed to set another record.
Watt officially finished the year as the NFL sack leader, with 19, becoming the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three times. He led the NFL in sacks in 2020 with 15 and 22.5 in 2021, tying Michael Strahan’s official sack record from 2001.
Speaking of that 2021 season, there is a ton of controversy going on about that season.
A social media thread suggests that New York Giants defensive lineman Michael Strahan’s 2001 NFL single-season sack record, which was tied by Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker TJ Watt in 2021, may have been assisted by a record-keeping blunder, per Anthony G. Halkias II of Steelers Now.
User @JaguarGator9NFL on X, previously known as Twitter, claimed to have discovered a mistake in a game between the New York Giants and Dallas Cowboys from Week 8 of 2001.
On one play, Cowboys quarterback Clint Stoerner snaps the ball from the New York Giants’ 44-yard line. He scrambles upfield and is tackled at the 43 1/2-yard line. The refs shift the ball forward half a yard.
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Watt would stand as the undisputed record holder if this play had not been counted as a sack.
TJ Watt was selected in the first round of the 2017 Draft, with the 30th overall pick. The Steelers had yet to learn they were taking the second coming of JJ Watt.
T.J. Watt immediately established himself, winning six Pro Bowl choices and four All-Pro honors. His outstanding performance resulted in his winning the AP Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021.
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TJ Watt Thrilled With New Quarterback Situation For The Steelers
Linebacker T.J. Watt was asked about the additions of Russell Wilson and Justin Fields to the team’s offense, and he did not shy away from showing his excitement.
“I’m excited for both of them,” Watt told Fox4. “To be able to have some big-time new faces and some guys who have played at a high level. Especially Russ, a guy who’s won a Super Bowl in the locker room. I’m just hoping I can learn something from those guys and hopefully show them how things are done in Pittsburgh, as well. … I haven’t won a playoff game my whole career there, so I’m open to any type of information where we can continue to get better, and hopefully those guys can help us do that.
“It’s a tough, competitive league. There’s so much parity, especially just even in our division. You look at all the quarterbacks; I’m just glad that we have one.”
As it currently stands, the Steelers are set to roll with Wilson as their starter and Fields as their backup in 2024.
Also Read: RUMOR: Pittsburgh Steelers Are Targeting Rival Team’s Superstar Offensive Player
