The Pittsburgh Steelers found gold in the 2017 NFL Draft when they grabbed T.J. Watt with the 30th overall pick. What followed was nothing short of a defensive masterclass. By 2024, he had become the Steelers’ all-time sack leader. Add to this the 2021 NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award, when he tied the single-season sack record. You’re talking about one of the most feared defenders of his era. And yet, the résumé could’ve been even shinier. A truth that still hangs over his career.

Now 30, turning 31 this season, life is shifting. He and his wife, professional soccer player Dani Rhodes , welcomed their first child this offseason. With fatherhood settling in and his ninth year in Pittsburgh approaching, Watt admitted in a sit-down with Graham Bensinger that the word “retire

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