After T.J. Watt, outsider linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers, was named the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year, fans are wondering if he will live up to the legacy of his brother, JJ. However, the athlete recently shared that he doesn’t want to be compared to his older brother, as he is still getting the feel of playing professional football.
“I want people to understand how great my brother truly was in his prime,” T.J. said during an interview on the Pivot Podcast, making sure to give praise to his brother where it is due. “I think it gets lost today, and I know he’d be upset if I said this, but I think it truly is.”
“You go back and you look, you watch the film, the guy was frickin’ unstoppable. Absolutely unstoppable. He’ll never say it, but people need to go back and look at that,” the younger Watt brother added.
Reflecting on the impressive career of JJ Watt
And, to be fair, he has a point; during his prime, JJ Watt was one of the best players in the NFL. From 2011 to 2020, JJ Watt was a star defesive end for the Texans before he joined the Cardinals in 2021. He has been selected five-time for Pro Bowls and set multiple records during his time in Texas.
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Additionally, going back to the middle of his career, the player was among the best athletes in the NFL. He was named first-team All-Pro each year, won Defensive Player of the Year three times from 2012 to 2015, earned the title of Defensive Player of the Year three times, led the NFL in the number of sacks, and even averaged 17.3 sacks a year, 29.8 tackles for a loss, 47.5 quarterback hits, and 3.8 forced fumbles.
Considering all of this, it is no surprise the younger Watt brother did not hesitate to give his brother hype. When asked on the podcast who the better player is, he was quick to defuse the situation and cited his brother’s substantial career before noting that comparisons would be silly; he has not been in the NFL long enough to have the resume his elder brother has.
“The guy was doing incredible things for four or five years,” T.J. Watt continued before adding “and I think he can still play at a high level. I think I’m too early in my career to compare myself to him.”
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