When the Pittsburgh Steelers signed T.J. Watt to a record contract extension last offseason, they certainly had high hopes. Hopes that weren’t realized to the full extent in 2025. However, former NFL offensive lineman Mark Schlereth remains high on Watt, ranking him among the NFL’s top-10 players.
“Number nine, I love watching this dude play. Probably should have him higher,” Schlereth said Friday on his Stinkin Truth podcast. “T.J. Watt is a dude where every time you break the huddle, you gotta find out where that guy is. Plays exceptionally hard, unbelievable. Not only from upfield, getting you with speed, but also his counter moves getting back inside. But I think he’s one of those guys that’s just a complete player. I think he’ll play the run, I think he’ll do everything for you as a football player…Great top-10 player in this league.”
For clarity, Schlereth’s list doesn’t include quarterbacks. Schlereth remarked that they “do not play football, they play quarterback.” Watt would have surely finished lower on his list had it included quarterbacks. Although he did rank Watt as the league’s second-best edge rusher earlier this offseason.
Still, being named the ninth-best non-quarterback in the NFL is no small honor. Schlereth listed Watt just ahead of Derwin James and just behind Saquon Barkley and Kyle Hamilton, who came in eighth and seventh respectively. Watt is certainly in the company of some elite playmakers on this list.
Given his production throughout his career, it’s no surprise Watt earns respect like this. But if he really is one of the best players in the league, his 2025 season didn’t show it. Including seasons in which he’s played at least 14 games, Watt tied his lowest sack total with seven and his lowest TFL total with 10.
But there is some reason for optimism, and a chance that season was an outlier. Watt dealt with a freak lung injury late in the year, which certainly broke up some momentum. He was also part of a defense that struggled for a large portion of the year. If he can stay healthy, he might benefit from new DC Patrick Graham’s scheme, which figures to be much more flexible. And for what it’s worth, the splash plays haven’t gone anywhere. Watt still forced three fumbles last year and came away with two interceptions.
Some of the facts are hard to argue against. They paint a picture of Watt’s production decreasing steadily since the 2023 season, and he’ll turn 32 in October. While he certainly is capable of bouncing back, there’s no guarantee he will. Even so, Schlereth’s confidence in Watt doesn’t seem to be going anywhere.