T.J. Watt threatened to leave this!!!
Now that three-time defensive player of the year Aaron Donald has retired after ten seasons with the Los Angeles Rams, his crown as the league’s best defensive player is up for grabs.
Donald says that title is going to Pittsburgh Steelers edge-rusher T.
Donald mentioned Dallas Cowboys linebacker Micah Parsons and Cleveland Browns defensive end and defending DPOY Myles Garrett as other elite defensive players, but said Watt stands alone in his eyes.
“From the time I first saw T.J. Watt to the last year, he’s consistently been dominating in this league,” Donald said. “Just a lot of respect for him, and I think he’s that guy.”
Watt led the NFL in sacks in 2023 for the third time in four seasons while tying his career high of 68 tackles.
He has been a defensive Player of the Year finalist four times and won the award once in 2021 after tying the all-time single-season record of 22.5 sacks.
Donald said after his retirement last month he thought Watt had been “snubbed” during some of those runner-up seasons, per On3’s Nick Geddes.
“I felt like he should’ve won a couple more Defensive Player of the Year Awards, he kind of got snubbed a couple times, I ain’t gonna lie,” Donald said in March.
Watt, who has two years remaining on his contract in Pittsburgh, will hope to put together another DPOY-caliber season this fall as the Steelers look to make a playoff push behind their newly upgraded quarterback room.
J. Watt.
“If you wanna say that next guy, that defensive player, I would say right now it’s T.J. Watt,” Donald said on the latest episode of Green Light with Chris Long (h/t CBS Sports’ Bryan DeArdo.) “If you’re talking about that’s doing it year in, year out, consistently, that’s going to get you 15, 13, damn, 22 sacks. He’s the one that’s been doing it consistently.