4 Steelers most likely to win awards at the end of the 2020 season
By Tommy Jaggi
T.J. Watt: Defensive Player of the Year
This is an award I think most fans would like to see more so than any other. T.J. Watt was incredible for the Steelers last year. He earned 14.5 sacks, 14 tackles for a loss, and 36 quarterback hits while leading the league in forced fumbles (8) and pressures (59) according to Pro Football Reference. Unfortunately, the award was ultimately (and controversially) handed to Patriots cornerback, Stephon Gilmore.
This year, Watt has been even better. While he hasn’t been able to jar the ball loose as he did in 2019, he is on pace to crush his personal bests in every major statistical department – including sacks, tackles for a loss, quarterback hits, and pressures.
Watt is playing so well, in fact, that his numbers are on track to rival those of J.J. Watt’s in two of his three seasons as a Defensive Player of the Year award winner. This is really only a three-man race, with Rams DT Aaron Donald and Browns DE Myles Garrett as his biggest competition. With a terrific home stretch, Watt could follow in the footsteps of his big brother in 2020.