Steelers star T.J. Watt led the NFL in sacks and became the first player in NFL history to lead the league in sacks three times. He didn't get Defensive Player of the Year as Myles Garrett took home the prestigious honor.
Watt says he's not upset over someone else winning the award, but wants some clarification on how the winner was selected.
"I don't have a problem with any players," Watt said on "Pardon My Take," via Steelers Depot. "Everybody's phenomenal. Myles [Garrett], Micah [Parsons], they're great players. Don't get me wrong. It's just that the voting. I want more clarity on how that all comes."
Obviously winning major honors is something a player can put on their resume. Watt added that it's part of a player's legacy status.
"It's a legacy thing. It really is," Watt said. "It's not why we play, but it comes along with it."
Watt led the NFL with 19 sacks and finished with 68 tackles, 19 tackles for loss, 36 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, an interception and four passes defended. He also had 86 pressures, 47 hurries and a pressure rate of 16.7%. Not only did Watt lead the league in sacks, but he also led the league in quarterback hits.
A First Team All-Pro selection for the fourth time, Watt has 96.5 sacks after his first seven seasons -- the third most by any player in NFL history in that span (only Reggie White and DeMarcus Ware have more). Watt is the only player in Steelers franchise history with 13 or more sacks in multiple seasons (and he's done it five times). Watt is just the fourth player with at least 15 sacks in three of his first seven seasons, joining Reggie White (four seasons), DeMarcus Ware (three seasons) and brother J.J. Watt (three seasons) to accomplish the feat. His three seasons with at least 15 sacks are tied for the second most in NFL history by a player in their first seven seasons in the league.
Watt certainly had a case for Defensive Player of the Year, but Garrett's numbers were also worthy of the award. Garrett finished with 42 tackles, 30 quarterback hits, 14 sacks, four forced fumbles and three passes defended in 16 games. He also had 86 pressures, 57 hurries and a pressure rate of 18.6%.
The divide between Watt and Garrett wasn't much. Watt just would like to see what swung the vote either way, especially since both players (and Parsons) were deserving of the award.
