Linebacker T.J. Watt named Steelers MVP

As much as the Pittsburgh Steelers defensive players relished T.J. Watt earning the team’s most valuable player award Thursday, they are more interested in whether he can claim a bigger accolade in about six weeks.

At the NFL Honors ceremony Feb. 1, the eve of the Super Bowl, the NFL Defensive Player of the Year will be revealed. And the third-year outside linebacker is equally worthy of that piece of hardware, Steelers players believe.

“T.J deserves it,” outside linebacker Bud Dupree said. “He deserves to be defensive player of the year. Hopefully, he gets that, too.”

Three times in a five-minute interview, cornerback Joe Haden lobbied for Watt to be recognized as the NFL’s top defensive player.

“I’m so happy for him by the way he has been playing this year,” Haden said. “I want and I hope and pray he gets defensive MVP. I’ve never had anyone on my team get it. Watching him play, watching him practice, watching the way he goes about his business, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone more deserving.”

Entering the Steelers’ regular-season finale Sunday at Baltimore, Watt ranks fourth in the NFL with 14 sacks. He leads all defensive players with 33 quarterback hits and ranks second with seven forced fumbles and four fumble recoveries. His 14 tackles for loss ranks eighth.

Watt also is the only NFL player since 2008 to check the boxes on all five of those defensive statistics. He is among a group of contenders that includes New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, New Orleans Saints defensive end Cameron Jordan, Arizona Cardinals linebacker Chandler Jones and two-time winner Aaron Donald of the Los Angeles Rams.

“Look at his stats and look at the plays he makes and the types of situations he makes those plays in,” rookie inside linebacker Devin Bush said. “It tells it all.”

The last time a Steelers defensive player won the team MVP award was Troy Polamalu in 2010. He was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year a few weeks later.

Watt, though, isn’t dreaming about the possibility of joining Polamalu or even older brother J.J. in that exclusive club. J.J. Watt was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year three times in his first five seasons, last winning the award in 2015.

“My brother will humble me pretty quickly,” Watt said.

Unlike last season, when wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster was named team MVP, a selection that apparently contributed to Antonio Brown’s disruptive final week with the Steelers, there was no controversy surrounding the choice of Watt.

Although free safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, defensive tackle Cameron Heyward and Dupree merited consideration, Watt leads the Steelers in nearly every defensive statistical category, and he also has two interceptions and seven passes defensed.

In his most recent display, Watt’s strip sack and fumble recovery set up the tying touchdown in the final seconds of the first half against the New York Jets.

“I can’t really hide how I feel about it,” Watt said, “because it’s voted by the players, my peers and guys I am around on a daily basis. To be able to be recognized as a team MVP is special to me, and it’s special to everyone in the locker room because it’s not just me. It’s the whole team collectively.”

Watt’s 14 sacks are two shy of the Steelers’ single-season record set by James Harrison in 2008, and he has thrived since last season when he and Dupree switched sides on the defensive alignment, with Watt lining up on the left side and Dupree on the right.

Watt has 27 sacks since the switch.

“He’s out here first every day,” defensive coordinator Keith Butler said. “You come out and look at the field, and you’ll see him out there playing with the ball, like a little kid. He loves it. He loves the game, so he works at it. By him working at it, he’s real good physically and mentally.

“I think he’s got room to grow a little bit, but he’s coming. He’s getting there.”

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