T.J. Watt is no stranger to falling just short of the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. The Steelers star finished third in the 2019 voting and second in ’20 before finally breaking through with his first nod in 2021.
While it’s territory he is familiar with, the standout defensive end appears to be taking this year’s slight a little more personally.
The NFL Honors show was Thursday night, with a number of the league’s best and brightest stars going home with hardware. Included in that was Browns star pass-rusher Myles Garrett, who earned his first Defensive Player of the Year honor.
While the Cleveland star may have been more than worthy of the recognition, Watt had a top-tier resume this season, as well. The 29-year-old was part of a Pittsburgh defense that kept Mike Tomlin’s crew afloat for a majority of the season. While the offense struggled to find any sort of cohesion, Watt and the defensive unit played a vital role in securing a playoff berth this season.
Despite the stats, his stellar showing was not enough to win a second Defensive Player of the Year. As a result, not only did Watt skip out on attending the awards show, but he posted a cryptic message on social media before the award was even announced.
Here is what Watt had to say about the Defensive Player of the Year voting.
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