T.J. Watt


T.J. Watt was the Defensive Player of the Year in the NFL and tied the all-time single-season sack record. You didn't have to be a Steelers fan to root for one of the best defensive players we've seen in a generation.
- Tommy Jaggi
FanSided Editor

Why we needed this fandom this year

T.J. Watt was a must on this year's Fandom of the Year list. While a pectoral injury and knee surgery claimed the first half of his 2022 season, Watt is coming off a year in which tied Michael Strahan for the all-time single-season sack record. Watt is also the NFL's reigning Defensive Player of the Year.

What we’ll remember about this fandom a decade from now

Assuming T.J. Watt stays relatively healthy moving forward, he's got 'future Hall of Famer' written all over him. Despite the injury setback this year, Watt is coming off a remarkable three-year stretch in which he finished in the top three in Defensive Player of the Year voting and earned First-Team All-Pro honors in three straight seasons. Ten years from now, we could be looking at him as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.