T.J. Watt is emerging from his brother’s shadow with the Steelers

While T.J. Watt has not yet reached the same peaks as his brother J.J., he is quickly making a name for himself with the Pittsburgh Steelers.

When the Pittsburgh Steelers drafted T.J. Watt in 2017, most NFL fans simply knew him as the younger brother of J.J. Watt, one of the NFL’s best players. It was a foregone conclusion that T.J. would never live up to his brother’s reputation.

After all, when healthy, J.J. is one of the league’s most disruptive players, even earning MVP buzz in 2014 after tallying 20.5 sacks and two defensive touchdowns. While T.J. has not yet had a season quite like that, his first three seasons suggest that he is capable of similar dominance.

T.J. Watt has been a defensive game-changer for the Steelers

In three years, T.J. has posted an impressive 34.5 sacks, just two fewer than J.J. had at the same point in his career. The Steeler has also forced an impressive 15 career forced fumbles, including a league-leading eight in 2019.

As one of the premier pieces on perhaps the league’s most talented defense, Watt’s continued growth could help bring the Steelers back to the playoffs in 2020, and Defensive Player of the Year buzz only figures to get louder from a year ago.

Opposing teams are likely haunted by the fact that the former first-round pick has not even reached his full potential yet. Whereas J.J. is built more like a traditional defensive lineman, T.J. is leaner and shown more coverage skills as an outside linebacker, nabbing three career picks.

While his brother is still an undisputed first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, T.J.’s early returns suggest that he could put together a similar career, and the Steelers will soon have to pay him accordingly. The 25-year-old, along with safety Minkah Fitzpatrick, looks like a long-term piece of the Pittsburgh defense, and his strong start to his career has helped him begin to carve out a legacy of his own.

Now, T.J. is more than just J.J.’s brother in the minds of most NFL fans. The Steeler is a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate and first-team All-Pro, and the lessons he’s learned from his brother’s stellar play will likely help him to continue playing at a high level.