Patrick Graham may unlock T.J. Watt this season.
NFL insider Ralph Vacchiano of FOX Sports believes new Pittsburgh Steelers DC Patrick Graham will give star T.J. Watt "the jolt he needs" to have a strong 2026 season.
Watt appeared in 14 games for the Steelers last season. He finished with seven sacks, 23 solo tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 19 QB hits.
Graham is replacing Teryl Austin as Pittsburgh's DC.
"Watt could also be in line for a boost in the new, aggressive scheme of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham, who plans to move Watt around more than he’s been moved in recent seasons," Vacchiano wrote. "That could be enough to give Watt the jolt he needs to stay in the top 10 for another season or two before he heads to Canton."
The Steelers signed Watt to a three-year, $123 million contract in 2025, with $108 million guaranteed. Watt turns 32 in October and has guaranteed salaries of $32 million in both 2026 and 2027.
Watt has spent his entire NFL career in Pittsburgh. He enters next season with 115 sacks, 354 solo tackles, 136 tackles for loss and 244 QB hits. He's made eight Pro Bowls and four All-Pro selections and won the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year Award.
However, the Steelers are 0-5 in the playoffs in the Watt era. So even though Watt has put up incredible numbers, he hasn't helped Pittsburgh win a postseason game.
NFL scouts for Bleacher Report ranked Watt 41st-best among defensive players in the league.
Watt is one spot ahead of Devin Lloyd of the Carolina Panthers and one spot behind Zack Braun of the Philadelphia Eagles.
"A gold jacket is waiting for T.J. Watt whenever he decides to hang up his cleats," Bleacher Report wrote. "However, the future Hall of Famer's production dipped last season, as he isn't the same player he used to be. Watt can still win on the high side of the rush but lacks a good change-up to keep offensive tackles honest. At this stage of his career, Watt is also more of a finesse player against the run."
The Steelers open the 2026 season against the Atlanta Falcons.
Let's see if Watt can shut his critics up by racking up some sacks and tackles in that game.
