3 things Steelers T.J. Watt still needs to add to his Hall of Fame resume

Watt needs to help Steelers win a Super Bowl

Of the list of three things I would love to see T.J. Watt accomplish over the remainder of his NFL career, winning a Super Bowl is clearly the most challenging. Unfortunately, as great as he might play in the future, this isn’t something he is guaranteed to experience during his NFL tenure.

The good news is that a Super Bowl win isn’t a required prerequisite for entry into the Hall of Fame, but it certainly seems to go a long way with the Associated Press voters — particularly when it comes to first-ballot admission.

Despite a 12-year career that was shortened by injuries, former Steelers All-Pro safety Troy Polamalu entered the Hall of Fame on his first year of eligibility. Polamalu didn’t have the longevity that goes a long way with voters with just NFL starts, but the Super Bowl rings do doubt weighed on the decisions of the voters.

I still believe that T.J. Watt could become a first-ballot Hall of Fame player without being part of a Super Bowl championship during his NFL career, but if he were able to do so, you could pencil him in on the ballot during his first year of eligibility without hesitation.

I am very confident that T.J. Watt will hear his name called to Canton one day, but how quickly he enters the Hall of Fame could be determined by the number of boxes he is able to check by the end of his playing career.