Insider: Steelers' T.J. Watt Resisting Position Change

A Pittsburgh Steelers insider doesn't believe T.J. Watt would be thrilled about moving to the other side of the defense.

Sep 22, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrates a sack against the Los Angeles Chargers during the fourth quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Barry Reeger-Imagn Images / Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt is one of the NFL's most feared defensive players, let alone pass rushers, though there's some thought that shuffling the deck and allowing him to pin his ears back from multiple alignments could further unlock his talents while also boosting the entire unit.

Steelers insider Mark Kaboly, when asked why defensive coordinator Teryl Austin doesn't move him around more, wasn't so sure Watt would be agreeable to such a development given that he strongly prefers working on the left side of the defense.

“I don’t know how much he wants to do that," Kaboly said on 93.7 The Fan's Morning Show. "I think partially it has to do with him. He just likes coming from…I mean you remember his rookie year, he was on the other side, didn’t really like it. They flipped him and Bud Dupree and then all of a sudden he took off. But at this point, you’re gonna have to do something a little different. I guarantee if you ask Teryl Austin, he’d be like, ‘Oh we move him around.’ Yeah, you move him around two or three times a game, if that.”

Watt's been vocal in the past about his partiality to lining up over the right tackle, chalking it up to his muscle memory and comfortability from that position on the field.

As Kaboly mentioned, Watt spent a majority of his time as a rookie in 2017 operating from the right side of the defense while Dupree was stationed on the left. He tallied seven sacks that year, the second-most of any first-time player in Steelers history, but it wasn't until his switch to the opposite end in 2018 when things really started to click.

Watt's gone on to rack up accolades, including the 2021 Defensive Player of the Year award and four All-Pro nominations, from that point forward while almost exclusively playing on the left side. A recent string of subpar performances, however, could have the Steelers looking to unearth creative ways to free him up.

In a loss to the Cleveland Browns in Week 12, the Wisconsin product recorded zero sacks and just two pressures, per Pro Football Focus. Defensive end Myles Garrett, on the other hand, finished with three sacks on the day and called out Watt after the game following a mini-feud, if you can even call it that, stemming from the former capturing DPOY honors last season.

Watt also posted two pressures and no sacks versus the Washington Commanders in Week 10 after putting up a combined single pressure and zero quarterback takedowns over Weeks 6 and 7 against the Las Vegas Raiders and New York Jets, respectively.

He's still having a stellar campaign with 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, but his levels of consistency and efficiency have dropped in 2024. Opposing teams have found ways to neutralize Watt far more often than they have in the past, and it's had a resounding effect on Pittsburgh's defense.

As a result, the Steelers could look to change their ways and draw up different looks as a means of breaking up the monotony and letting Watt loose. That doesn't mean he has to abandon his hold on the left side, but allowing him to pick up additional opportunities elsewhere could do wonders for both him and the team as a whole.

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