Steelers' T.J. Watt Making Aaron Donald-Like Impact

The Pittsburgh Steelers' star edge rusher is drawing extra attention from the team's Week 2 opponent.

Sep 8, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Pittsburgh Steelers linebacker T.J. Watt (90) celebrate after a sack against the Atlanta Falcons in the fourth quarter at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt received just about the highest praise that's out there for a defensive player from Denver Broncos offensive coordinator Joe Lombardi.

When speaking to reporters ahead of Denver's Week 2 matchup with Pittsburgh, Lombardi took note of Watt's game-wrecking ability and compared it to that of former Los Angeles Rams interior defensive lineman Aaron Donald.

"He's kind of got an Aaron Donald-like effect on the game," Lombardi said. "There's great players in this league, but there's just a couple guys that I can remember that are as disruptive consistently as this guy, so you better know where he is every play."

Donald, who retired after the 2023 season, is widely regarded as one of the greatest defensive players in NFL history, and for good reason.

The University of Pittsburgh product and Super Bowl LVI champion finished his professional career with 111 sacks, helping him earn first-team All-Pro honors eight times while taking home the Defensive Player of the Year Award on three occasions.

While Watt plays a different position than Donald, his prowess as a pass rusher and the attention that he draws from the opposing team is the same.

With Donald out of the league, Watt may very well be the best defender the NFL has to offer. The 29-year-old has led the league in sacks three times, including last season with 19, and has probably deserved to be crowned as the Defensive Player of the Year more than once at this point.

Watt started his 2024 campaign off strong in Week 1 against the Atlanta Falcons with a sack and a fumble recovery while disrupting their offense at every turn.

Now, he gets to tee off against a rookie quarterback in Bo Nix and a Denver offensive line that struggled mightily against the Seattle Seahawks last Sunday.

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