Steelers' TJ Watt In Danger Of Losing Achievement To Up And Coming Defender: 'I'm Going For The Record'
Steelers' TJ Watt In Danger Of Losing Achievement To Up And Coming Defender: 'I'm Going For The Record'
The Pittsburgh Steelers drafted TJ Watt with the 30th overall pick in the 2017 NFL Draft and he quickly showed that he should have gone much higher. His production increased every season, and he has solidified himself as one of the best pass-rushers 21st century. He hasn't always gotten the appropriate recognition, and now one of the league's up-and-coming defenders has his eyes set on Watt's sack record.
Watt is the best sack artist in the league, as he is the only player in history to lead the NFL in sacks in three separate seasons. During the 2021 season, the edge rusher made history as he tied the single-season sack record. The record is also held by Hall Of Famer Michael Strahan, who recorded 22.5 sacks in 2001. During a recent appearance on The Rich Eisen Show, New York Giants' Kayvon Thibodeaux made his intentions to break the record in 2024 clear.
"As long as I continue to play and continue to grow and develop, I'm going to try to be the best. So, as I said before, I'm going for the record. And guess what, if I fall short, hopefully I fall somewhere in that 15-20 range."
Thibodeaux is entering his third season in the NFL, and is coming off of a fantastic sophomore year. He recorded 7.5 more sacks than he did in his rookie season, while also forcing 3 fumbles. It's an ambitious goal for the young player, and it will be something to keep an eye on as the 2024 season unfolds.
Thibodeaux is set up nicely on the Giants defense to accomplish this goal. The team traded for Brian Burns, who is a two-time Pro-Bowler at the outside linebacker position. Dexter Lawrence in the middle of the defensive line will be able to contribute to the pass rush as well, which will allow for Thibodeaux to get to the quarterback.
Sacks are a stat that show how good an individual is at getting to the quarterback, but players couldn't do it without the rest of the defense. Good coverage and additional pass rushers are huge factors in getting sacks.Watt has held the record for two seasons now, and no one has really come close to it. The closest a player got to it over the last two years was Watt, who led the league in sacks during the 2023 season with 19.
Despite leading the league in sacks, scoring a touchdown, catching an interception, amongst many other things - Watt didn't win Defensive Player Of The Year for his 2023 performance. So, even if Thibodeaux breaks the record, there's a chance the league decides to give the award to Myles Garrett instead.
Steelers' Watt Should Have Sole Ownership Of Sack Record
There are three separate reasons that Watt should be the sole owner of the NFL's single-season sack record. The first being that Strahan's final sack of the 2001 season on Brett Favre is phony. Favre practically laid down. The next reason is that a statistical error was recently uncovered. One of Strahan's sacks from earlier in the 2001 season should never have been recorded as a sack, he tackled the quarterback as he gained half a yard.
During Week 18 of the 2021 season against the Baltimore Ravens, Watt seemed to have sacked Lamar Jackson. Except it wasn't recorded as a sack because it was considered an aborted snap. It was a bad snap that Jackson had to fall on, and Watt was the first player to get to Jackson. Since the snap was aborted, Watt was denied his opportunity to claim the single-season record. Pittsburgh sent an appeal to the league to try to get Watt an additional sack, but it was a failure.
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