3 things Steelers T.J. Watt still needs to add to his Hall of Fame resume
By Tommy Jaggi
Watt needs at least 68 more sacks
T.J. Watt is on a remarkable pace when it comes to statistical production, and this is something that AP Hall of Fame voters are going to look at when his career comes to a close. Through his first five seasons, Watt has earned a whopping 72.0 sacks — giving him an average of roughly 14.5 sacks per year.
Watt’s sack totals jumped up significantly in 2021 as he tied Michael Strahan’s single-season sack record with 22.5. A few more seasons like this, and Watt will be a lock for the Hall of Fame. However, we just saw that DeMarcus Ware was denied entry despite being 13th on the all-time NFL sack list with 138.5 and meeting the threshold of four First-Team All-Pro honors.
Looking at this list, I think that Watt needs at least 68 more sacks to lock himself in as a first-ballot Hall of Famer. This isn’t just an arbitrary number. Adding 68 more sacks would catapult him into 11th place all-time with 140 sacks — smack-dab between Michael Strahan and Jason Taylor.
Players just below this 140 mark like Ware, Jared Allen, and John Abraham have not yet made the Hall of Fame despite eligibility. If Watt was to get 70 more sacks in his career, he would tie the great Lawrence Taylor for 9th place all-time. With a long career ahead of him, this is within the realm of possibility for Watt.