Story by
‘Declining’ Steelers’ T.J. Watt tumbles down ESPN edge rusher rankings
- Story by
- ‘Declining’ Steelers’ T.J. Watt tumbles down ESPN edge rusher rankings
'Declining' Steelers' T.J. Watt tumbles down ESPN edge rusher rankings appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The Pittsburgh Steelers will have a new face on the sideline, with Mike McCarthy taking over after Mike Tomlin's historic run . But many of the faces on the field are staying the same, with Aaron Rodgers coming back for a second year. The Steelers also have TJ Watt as their top edge rusher, although he is falling down ESPN's rankings. What does the league think of the former single-season sack king ?
Advertisement
"Definitely in decline," an AFC exec told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler. "He's still very good. But some of the younger players have surpassed him."
"He can win with his high motor and his flair for the big play, but the burst and get-off isn't the same as it was as a result of lower-body injuries," a different source told Fowler.
Watch sports LIVE with fuboTV (free trial)
Watt was second in these edge rusher rankings before last season, but he is now in seventh. Danielle Hunter , Aidan Hutchinson , Maxx Crosby , Will Anderson Jr , and Micah Parsons have all jumped him. Myles Garrett was atop the list last year and kept the spot after setting the sack record.
Advertisement
Watt managed just seven sacks in 14 games last year, but was still elected to the Pro Bowl. His decline can be seen in All-Pro voting, as he did not make the top two teams for only the second time in eight years. Watt will turn 32 in October, so his value is declining already.
If the Steelers are going to launch a rebuild, Watt would be the first name on the trade block. If there was a defensive lineman to take some attention away, he could still get after the quarterback. But the Steelers do not have that , so he gets crushed by offensive linemen consistently.
Watt is headed down, but the Steelers are hanging on. Will this old team work this year?
Related: ESPN analyst makes bold claim about Steelers breakout candidate working directly with Aaron Rodgers
Related: Linebackers labeled biggest weakness for Aaron Rodgers-led Steelers
