3 reasons T.J. Watt is the NFL Defensive Player of the Year thus far in 2021
By Scott Long
2. Injuries Haven’t Slowed him Down
Despite a dominant season, everything hasn’t been smooth sailing for Watt. He has missed two games due to injury and has been limited in two other games. According to Pro Football Reference, Watt only played 24% of snaps Week 2 against the Raiders, and only played 46% of snaps week 10 against the Lions.
Despite missing this much time, Watt has remained dominant every time he has touched the field. In his 10 games played Watt has 16 sacks, 16 tackles for loss, 26 quarterback hits, four forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, and 47 total tackles. His 16 sacks lead the NFL, and his 16 tackles for loss puts him in a tie for first with Nick Bosa and Micah Parsons for the most in the NFL as well.
Many players when playing through injuries cannot maintain the same high level of play, however, Watt has not joined that group. In addition to missing time with injuries, Watt came into the season without having a normal offseason as he held out for a contract extension and yet showed no rust upon his return. Couple that with missing an entire week while awaiting two negative COVID-19 tests, and it’s clear that despite difficulties, Watt has not let there be any excuses and he continues to prove he deserves the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award this year.