Former NFL Star J.J. Watt Sounds Off on PFF Grading System: 'I Hate It'
Highlights
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J.J. Watt criticized Pro Football Focus’ player grading system on "The Pat McAfee Show," calling it “made up” and unreliable.
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Watt said he’s long disagreed with PFF’s approach because graders can’t accurately assess players without knowing internal team assignments.
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His comments came after a controversy over PFF recently giving Myles Garrett a higher grade than his brother T.J. despite the Steelers star’s stronger statistical performance.
Former NFL star J.J. Watt made his stance on Pro Football Focus crystal clear on Wednesday.
Appearing on "The Pat McAfee Show," Watt blasted PFF’s player grading system, calling it “completely made up” and “hands down” the site’s biggest issue. His comments came amid online debate surrounding the outlet’s recent grades for his brother T.J., who is an edge rusher for the Pittsburgh Steelers, and Browns edge rusher Myles Garrett.
“I’ve had my issues with PFF for a very long time,” J.J. Watt said. “I was their No. 1-rated player. I had over a hundred score while I was playing. They literally came to me and told me we had to change our system because of how you did it. So this isn’t a guy who had bad grades who’s disgruntled. I literally was their No. 1 guy, and I still hate it.”
While Watt acknowledged that PFF provides valuable data tools, such as filtering plays by coverage or run direction, he said the grading system lacks credibility because it’s often based on incomplete context.
“The No. 1 issue with PFF is their player rating system and the fact that they project it everywhere, including on national TV,” Watt said. “And that is a completely made-up number. You can’t watch film on the TV copy and create a grade.”
He even recalled hearing about people with no professional football background assigning grades.
“I have heard personal stories of Uber drivers telling NFL passengers that they break down film for PFF,” Watt added. “You can’t break down a player’s grade and know what they’re supposed to do if you don’t know their exact assignment.”
The topic surfaced after last week’s Steelers-Browns game, in which Garrett received a higher PFF grade (89.8) than T.J. Watt (84.9) despite recording fewer impactful plays on the stat sheet. That discrepancy fueled criticism from fans, and J.J. Watt’s comments have only intensified the debate.
“PFF has a ton of great stuff,” Watt said. “Player grading sucks. Stop putting it out.”
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 15, 2025, where it first appeared in the NFL section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
