10 greatest single-season performances in Pittsburgh Steelers history

8. T.J. Watt, 2020

When it's all said and done, T.J. Watt will have a chance to have his name written on the walls of Canton and the perennial All-Pro could break just about every Steelers record as a pass rusher. Like other players on this list, it's hard to narrow Watt's appearance on the top-10 single-season list down to just one year, but I went with his 2020 season.

This was the year before Watt recorded 22.5 sacks -- tying Michael Strahan for the all-time single-season sack record. That was also the year he earned Defensive Player of the Year honors. But if we are stretching this evaluation beyond prestigious accolades and impressive box score numbers, I thought his 2020 season was even better.

Watt was hampered by minor hip, knee, and groin issues in 2021 that caused him to miss some action, but in 2020, he was fully healthy and a force to be reconned with. While Watt recorded fewer sacks than he did in 2021 (15.0 compared to 22.5), he led the NFL in pressure rate, according to ESPN Analytics, and still finished second in DPOY voting.

Watt's 18 Approximate Value score in 2020 was just 2 points away from tying the best ever by a Steelers player. In addition to leading the league in sacks that year, Watt also led the league with 23 tackles for a loss, recorded 41 quarterback hits, forced 2 fumbles, and recorded an interception.