Since being selected in the first round of the 2017 NFL Draft, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett have been at the center of debate. Both players quickly turned into some of the league's best edge rushers as they raced against each other at historic paces for sacks and personal accolades.
Unfortunately, this 'debate' has already reached its bitter conclusion.
Up until the end of the 2023 season, Watt and Garrett were in lockstep with each other. Over the star defenders' first seven NFL seasons, Watt led in sacks (108.0 to 90.5), tackles for a loss (120 to 115), passes defended (45 to 17), interceptions (7 to 0), forced fumbles (33 to 14), First-Team All-Pros (4 to 3), and Pro Bowls (6 to 5). Meanwhile, Garrett took on more double teams while earning more pressures and a higher pass-rush win rate.
Watt was one of the best splash-playmakers we've ever seen from the edge rusher position, while Garrett was an absurdly efficient pressure generator who must be accounted for. They each had their roles... and they were elite at them.
But since then, it's been the 'Myles Garrett Show.'
In 2024, as Watt's impact felt subtle for the first time in his NFL career. As the season marched on last year, Watt's impact and production shriveled while Garrett thrived. Unfortunately, the two Defensive Player of the Year award winners couldn't seem further apart right now.
Pittsburgh Steelers know that Myles Garrett is now better than T.J. Watt
In 2025, T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett couldn't be further apart. Through the first 10 games of the season, Watt has just six sacks on 35 pressures, while Garrett has collected 16 sacks on 43 pressures, per Pro Football Focus's charting. Additionally, Garrett has faced double-team blocks at a higher rate.
This isn't about sack production—if it were, the debate would have been one-sided in Watt's favor up until the 2024 season. It's about the total evaluation, including the eye test.
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Quite frankly, Garrett is just a far more physically dominant player at this stage of his career with a skill set that ages better than Watt's, as 93.7 The Fan's Donny Chedrick boldly stated on X. As Watt continues to show signs of aging by taking longer to get to the quarterback, Garrett's elite speed and athletic profile are still aiding him in getting to the quarterback at a high rate.
Garrett is the odds-on favorite to be the Defensive Player of the Year in 2025, and it's hard to argue that he's not deserving of another DPOY award. Maybe there will still be a debate over T.J. Watt and Myles Garrett if we look at the scope of their careers when it's all said and done. But right now, the debate is over, and Garrett's the winner.