Steelers’ T.J. Watt enduring career-worst streak without a sack

From late in the 2019 season — his second in the NFL — until late last year, star Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt had never gone more than two consecutive games without a sack.

But beginning last Dec. 21, including the postseason and spanning the end of 2024 and the beginning of this season, Watt’s drought without a sack stands at six games.

“I mean, obviously, I’m not affecting the game like I want to,” Watt said after Friday’s practice at UPMC Rooney Sports Complex.

Watt brought down the Eagles’ Jalen Hurts on consecutive snaps late in the first quarter of a Week 15 loss in Philadelphia on Dec. 15. That gave him 11¹⁄₂ over the first 13¹⁄₂ games of the season and had him right in the thick of the race for the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award.

Since that moment, though, Watt has played 6¹⁄₂ games, 26 quarters, 356 defensive snaps and 111 pass-rush snaps (the latter according to Pro Football Focus) without a sack.

By games, Watt hadn’t endured a stretch more than one-third as long over the 90 games he played immediately preceding it. And he never had a span of more than a half as many sack-less games in his entire NFL career: Once as a rookie in 2018 and twice the following season, Watt had three-game spans without a sack.

But never four. And certainly not the six-game skid he’s on now.

It’s not without effort, of course.

“I’m trying to find each and every way, trying to turn over every stone, trying to flip sides, trying to do stunts, trying to do everything,” Watt said of his quest to break the lapse in his production. “So we’ll see. Trying to continue to get better each and every day.”

The only three-time NFL season leader since sacks became an official stat in 1982, Watt is the all-time NFL leader in sacks per game (0.88). But that figure is — ever so slowly — dropping. At least recently.

And while some observers have postulated opponents are scheming Watt out of making an impact as much as they possibly can — with a degree of effectiveness — Watt doesn’t want to hear it come across as any excuse.

TJ Watt isn’t willing to broach the subject that Steelers opponents are scheming against him or running to the opposite side of him pic.twitter.com/6P98YhWP3m

— Chris Adamski (@C_AdamskiTrib) September 19, 2025

“I don’t know, man,” Watt said of opposing offensive coaching staffs prioritizing stopping him. “It’s not for me to sit here and talk about. I’m just trying to make an impact any way I possibly can.”

There is some reasoning behind Watt’s lack of sacks, and, likewise, reason to believe his overall game isn’t suffering. It’s an open secret, for one, that Watt had a lower-body injury late last season that limited his effectiveness.

Furthermore, it has been obvious that — in regards to the running game, at least — teams are avoiding Watt, who typically lines up on the left side of the defense (right side of the offense).

While rushing for 100 or more yards against the Steelers in consecutive weeks, the New York Jets’ Breece Hall and Seattle Seahawks’ Kenneth Walker have combined for 25 carries to the left (per the NFL’s official game book) and only four to the right (with three deemed “up the middle”).

“(Teams) run away from T.J.,” Steelers defensive coordinator Teryl Austin said. “When you have stretch teams and teams that do that stuff, a lot of zone, you take a risk when you run at (Watt) because sometimes he’ll play it straight, sometimes he’ll come inside, and he’s able to give you some tackle for loss stuff that’s a little bit unpredictable.”

Watt has two tackles for loss through two games. In the pass rush, Watt’s production includes a batted-down ball, two QB hits and (per PFF) one “hurry.”

New teammate and fellow multi-time AP NFL All-Pro Jalen Ramsey hasn’t seen a change in Watt’s demeanor while Watt works to end his drought in production.

“He is who I expected him to be, just in terms of how professional he is, how much he cares about the game,” said Ramsey, a defensive back. “When you’ve … been around for some years in the league, you kind of learn the mannerisms and how certain guys — the elite guys — go about their business. And it’s usually around the same.

“I’ve been around the Hall of Famers, great guys, Aaron Donald, Bobby Wagner, all of these guys. They’re people who care about football the way they approach it, their professionalism. It all kind of goes hand in hand. So (Watt) is exactly who I thought he would be.”