There it is! T.J. Watt is a man chasing history... and he's succeeding. Heading into Week 5, the Pittsburgh Steelers star had 99.5 career sacks under his belt and was on pace to become the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach the 100-sack milestone.
Watt accomplished this feat on Sunday Night Football.
Early in the second quarter, the Dallas Cowboys were marching down the field and well within Steelers' territory. That's when Watt and fellow edge rusher Nick Herbig collapses on quarterback Dak Prescott for a sack.
Does anyone love their job more than @_TJWatt? Doubt it 😏
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2024
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100 CAREER SACKS!! @_TJWatt is a mad man 😡
— NFL (@NFL) October 7, 2024
📺: #DALvsPIT on NBC/Peacock
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Watt was rewarded a half sack for his impressive pass rush against right tackle Terence Steele. And that's all it took to. With this half-sack on Prescott, Watt became the second-fastest player in NFL history to reach 100 sacks -- trailing only legendary defender, Reggie White.
The sack wasn't the only thing Watt did on this play. The 2021 Defensive Player of the Year effectively ended Dallas' drive with a forced fumble, which was quickly scooped up by Herbig.
T.J. Watt continues to build on his Hall of Fame resume
This is just another notch in the belt of one of the greatest defensive players of this generation. Prior to reaching the 100-sack club, Watt already had six Pro Bowls and four First-Team All-Pros under his belt. Watt earned his DPOY in 2021 but finished top four in Defensive Player of the Year voting four times.
On paper, Watt has a Hall of Fame resume, and everything he does from here on out is simply building on his legendary career.
Now Steelers fans will ask: how long until Watt becomes the all-time NFL sack leader? Unfortunately, this may not be attainable, as the legendary Bruce Smith has 200 career sacks. Watt is only halfway there in his age-30 season. At the end of the day, it won't matter if he comes up short.
Now it's time to find postseason success. This has always been a goal of Watt's, and one he hopes to achieve soon. Watt's Steelers career has been a treat to watch, and seeing him continue to chase history is something every football fan can root for.