It’s hard to miss highly anticipated NFL action—even if you’re a player fighting through the wear and tear of a long season. Week 18 is simply too important to sit out, especially for the Pittsburgh Steelers. That reality is why the news surrounding T.J. Watt’s availability for Sunday night has sent a jolt of energy through the fanbase and the locker room alike.
“I’m really excited to get back out here in front of Steelers nation, and leave it all out on the field,” Watt told reporters Friday.
A lung issue stemming from dry needling sidelined the All-Pro edge rusher for three critical games, forcing Pittsburgh to navigate the most important stretch of the season without its defensive heartbeat. During that span, Watt could only watch as his teammates clawed, scraped, and survived to keep postseason positioning within reach.
It wasn’t always pretty, but it was gritty—and now, with everything on the line, the Steelers will have their best defensive player back on the field with the AFC North title still in play. Watt’s return isn’t just about filling a spot on the depth chart. It’s about restoring an identity. When he’s on the field, offenses game-plan differently. Protections slide. Play calls change. Quarterbacks rush decisions they’d rather take their time with.
That ripple effect alone makes Watt invaluable, but his impact becomes even more pronounced against a division rival like the Baltimore Ravens.
Few matchups illustrate Watt’s importance more clearly than his battles with Derrick Henry. The Ravens’ bruising running back thrives on rhythm and momentum, punishing defenses that hesitate at the line of scrimmage.
T.J. Watt gives the Pittsburgh Steelers a significant boost against the Ravens in Week 18
Watt doesn’t hesitate.
His ability to crash down the edge, string plays out laterally, or meet Henry before he can build steam has consistently forced Baltimore out of its comfort zone. Those early defensive stands don’t always show up in the stat sheet, but they tilt the game. They create long-yardage situations. They allow the Steelers to dictate terms rather than react.
That kind of hunger—the determination to shut down a back like Henry—isn’t measurable. There’s no column for it in the box score. But it changes outcomes, especially in games of this magnitude. Week 18 football in the AFC North isn’t about style points. It’s about will. And Watt has long been one of the league’s purest embodiments of that trait.
READ MORE: Questionable Steelers gamble has quickly become their saving grace
I’ll admit it—I feel better knowing Watt will play Sunday night. This season has been a roller coaster, filled with injuries, inconsistencies, and moments that tested belief. There were weeks when it felt like everything that could go wrong did. Yet here the Steelers are, still standing, still fighting, with an opportunity to define their season in one final regular-season showdown.
Watt’s presence doesn’t guarantee anything. The Ravens won’t roll over, and the margin for error will be razor-thin. But his return ensures that Pittsburgh enters the biggest game of the year with its best punch loaded. When the lights are brightest, and the stakes are highest, having No. 90 back on the field feels like more than a roster update—it feels like a reminder of who the Steelers are supposed to be.
In a season that has demanded resilience at every turn, all hands need to be on deck. On Sunday night, T.J. Watt will be exactly where he belongs.