Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt
It’s hard to put a player on this list who is so consistently good anyway, but T.J. Watt somehow continues to improve. Watt suffered a groin injury early in Week 2 of the 2021 season, and this injury caused him to miss Week 3. Since then, however, he has clearly been on the mend and he certainly looks like he’s at full strength following the bye week.
Watt was a disruptive force against Cleveland and he often required a double-team to be contained. On 51 snaps, he earned 6 tackles, 1.5 sacks, 1 tackle for a loss, 3 quarterback hits, 4 pressures, and 1 fumble recovery, according to Pro Football Reference.
Even after missing nearly two full games this season with an injury, Watt is quickly throwing his name back into the Defensive Player of the Year discussion. He’s unquestionable the most impactful player on this Steelers team, and the defense simply plays at a different level when he’s on the field.
The Steelers have a primetime matchup against the Chicago Bears on Monday Night Football in Week 9 and we hope to see much of the same dominance from these five players.