Steelers' T.J. Watt takes over the Watt legacy with milestone sack

There’s a new king in the Watt household, at least statistically. In the first half of the Pittsburgh Steelers’ 31-28 loss to the Chicago Bears, T.J. Watt passed his older, Hall of Fame-bound brother, J.J., for most sacks in their family. J.J. finished his legendary career with 14.5 sacks, but now T.J. has 115 and counting in his career.

T.J. did so with his brother in the CBS broadcast booth, their brother Derek and his family, and their parents in the stands at Soldier Field. His 115th sack also put points on the board for Pittsburgh as Watt forced a fumble on Caleb Williams in the endzone with Nate Herbig falling on the loose ball for a touchdown.

"If he's going to pass my record, that's one hell of a way to do it,” J.J. Watt said on the call after the play. “Good for you, T.J."

Pittsburgh Steelers' T.J. Watt becomes the new leader in the Watt household after strip-sack score

T.J. Watt had been eyeing the milestone set by his brother since he picked up his sixth sack of the season against the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 10. While it would have been nice to do it last week at home against a division rival, it must feel a bit sweeter for T.J. to pick up the critical sack with his brother calling the action.

The sack serving as Watt’s 25th career strip sack only made the feat that much more impressive. Of course, Watt already holds the franchise record for sacks. Across the league, only four active players have more sacks than Watt: Calais Campbell at 115.5, Myles Garrett at 117.5, Cameron Jordan with 125, and Von Miller with 134.5.

Watt’s production has dipped since he turned 30 last season. Watt has 13 sacks since his 30th birthday, Sunday marking the 23rd game since. That’s a low total for Watt given his monstrous seasons in the past, though it’s not just because of his veteran status. It’s also because of how teams utilize double and triple teams to shut him out of the game.

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Nonetheless, it’s another historic milestone in Watt’s impressive career that helps build his Hall of Fame resume, challenging his brother’s. Of course, the brothers played different positions, so it’s not a total surprise that the edge rusher moved past the interior rusher.