T.J. Watt is trusting Steelers GM Omar Khan to end his postseason drought

New York Times

23-07-2025

LATROBE, Pa. — Six months before T.J. Watt lugged his bags into Rooney Hall for another training camp at Saint Vincent College, the Pittsburgh Steelers' star edge rusher delivered a message more powerful than his signature punchout.
Typically, Watt treats media sessions like an obligation. He talks because he has to, not because he wants to. But ahead of the Steelers' playoff game against the Baltimore Ravens, there was something he had to say.
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'There's a big difference between (former Steelers) that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren't,' Watt said. 'And that's not a slight at the guys that aren't. I'm one of those guys right now.'
It was a heck of a statement from a team captain. Watt — who hasn't won a playoff game, much less a Super Bowl, in eight NFL seasons — showed a level of self-awareness in that moment, as he vocalized the urgency inside the locker room and the frustrations of a city that hasn't seen a Steelers playoff win since January 2017.
Just days after that impassioned monologue came yet another playoff embarrassment. Watt and the Steelers' highly compensated defense allowed nearly 300 rushing yards in a 28-14 loss to the Ravens. It completed a five-game collapse to end the season.
Entering the offseason, the Steelers and Watt reached a crossroads with the star edge rusher set to enter the final year of his contract.
Pittsburgh had already once made Watt the NFL's highest-paid non-quarterback, following a drawn-out training camp 'hold in' in 2021. The Steelers saw the return on investment, as Watt solidified himself as one of the best defensive players for a franchise that's long prided itself on that side of the football. He already ranks first in Steelers history in sacks (108) and forced fumbles (33) and sits second in tackles for loss (126). He also tied Michael Strahan's single-season record with 22.5 sacks in 2021 on the way to winning Defensive Player of the Year.
However, those years of dominance from the seven-time Pro Bowler and four-time first-team All-Pro have largely been wasted. Inadequate quarterback play dragged the Steelers down, and their defense wilted against quality competition in the playoffs.
Both sides had to make hard decisions. Did the Steelers want to continue to dedicate a significant portion of their salary cap to defense by making Watt the NFL's highest-paid non-QB for the second time in his career?
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Maybe more importantly: Did Watt still believe in the vision, the front office and the coaching staff to not only end the playoff drought but also legitimately compete for Pittsburgh's elusive seventh Lombardi Trophy?
The answers came last week when Watt signed a handsome three-year extension worth $123 million with $108 million guaranteed. Watt, who turns 31 in October, is now tied to the Steelers through the 2028 season and his 34th birthday.
As much as this is a big-money bet on Watt continuing to perform at a Defensive Player of the Year level into his mid-30s, it's also a wager on Watt's part that the Steelers won't waste whatever's left of his prime the way they did the first eight years of his postseason career. Asked why he felt comfortable putting his faith in the Steelers, Watt pointed to general manager Omar Khan's splashy offseason.
'It's all about being aggressive,' Watt said. 'I love to see the front office be aggressive and go out and acquire guys that we all truly feel like are going to help us get over the hump.'
That approach made the Steelers the story of the offseason in many ways. Khan's phone has been busy for months, as he traded for Pro Bowl receiver DK Metcalf, signed Aaron Rodgers after a prolonged courtship and dealt lightning-rod receiver George Pickens to Dallas.
'The way we ended last year wasn't good enough,' Khan said Wednesday. 'We knew changes had to be made.'
The most recent move from the wheeling-and-dealing GM was perhaps the most surprising. Khan traded All-Pro safety Minkah Fitzpatrick to Miami for a pair of Pro Bowlers, cornerback Jalen Ramsey and tight end Jonnu Smith.
'I definitely didn't expect it,' inside linebacker Patrick Queen said. 'I actually woke up and said, 'Wow, they sent me.' I thought I got traded for a second. It's crazy.'
Patrick Queen on expectations for the NFL's highest-paid defense: 'It's a lot of money on defense. The biggest thing is to go out there and prove it.'
He acknowledges the Steelers D 'sloped off' at the end of the season and 'it's supposed to be the other way.' pic.twitter.com/5VTLLp6jAR
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) July 23, 2025
For an organization long known for a patient and conservative approach, the past few months show an evolved way of doing business (even if the Steelers will employ a QB age 36 or older for the fourth time in six years). Coach Mike Tomlin called the maneuvering 'new territory.'
The big-name acquisitions have led many to say the Steelers are 'all in.' Asked about this narrative, Khan acknowledged there's a level of urgency to win this year, but he insists it's not at the expense of the longer-term vision, especially with the team expecting to have 10 to 12 draft picks in 2026, providing a natural 'youth movement.'
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'Our goal is to win the Super Bowl,' Khan said. 'We're building this team to win the Super Bowl this year. That's our goal.
'At same time, part of my job is to manage (and) make sure we don't sacrifice or do things that'll hurt us in the future. Because our goal is obviously sustained success over time. But yeah, we're looking to win a Super Bowl.'
Over the next three weeks, training camp practices will begin to reveal how these new puzzle pieces fit. Tomlin gave a few hints. He said Smith, the new tight end, has the versatility to line up wide, in the slot or attached to the line of scrimmage more traditionally. Perhaps he and Rodgers can help the offense improve after it finished 16th in scoring last year (21.5 points per game).
Defensively, Tomlin said Ramsey, Darius Slay (who signed as a free agent in March) and Joey Porter Jr. will allow the Steelers to play 'man-to-man versus anyone.' He also suggested that all three will be used on the field together with few exceptions.
'Make no mistake, those top three corners that I mentioned — Jalen Ramsey, Slay and Joey Porter Jr. — they're going to be on the field,' Tomlin said. 'I don't care what (personnel grouping) offenses come out in.'
T.J. Watt: "I think it's about getting back to being a really, really hard-nosed football team…
"Teams need to know what's coming when they see the Pittsburgh Steelers defense."
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) July 23, 2025
The supporting cast has changed, and the Steelers will need Rodgers to play at a higher level than last year to compete in a conference that features Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson and Joe Burrow, but they also need Watt to stay healthy and continue to perform at a DPOY level. Making about three times ($41 million annually) as much as the starting quarterback ($13.65 million) in a quarterback-driven league, Watt must continue to be a game-wrecker to achieve his goal of hoisting the Lombardi — and he knows it.
'You see the aggressiveness that we're taking organizationally,' Watt said Wednesday. 'I'm doing everything I can personally, whether that's moving around (the defensive front), mentoring younger guys as much as I possibly can, asking guys who have won Super Bowls before, whether here in this building or not, what we can do. And I think that's really all that we can do. And just keep putting our heads down and working.'
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'We can sit here and talk and talk and talk about not winning a playoff game (and) how much I want to do it. But at the end of the day, that's just lip service. It's all about what we do. That's why I'm excited to be back here. That's why I'm excited to get to know each and every guy on this new team that we have and get to work.'