Describe 2024 as a new year with Pittsburgh Steelers OLB TJ Watt in the running for the Defensive Player of the Year award.

This week, the 33rd team announced their midseason awards and Watt won the award. At least, part of it. He wasn’t the outright winner and tied with Green Bay Packers S Xavier McKinney.

“Meanwhile, Watt remains one of the most dominant pass rushers in the league, with 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles, tying him for the most points in the league,” Tyler Brooke wrote.

Both Watt and McKinney have had stellar seasons, with McKinney having six interceptions, allowing just nine completions and allowing a QB rating of just 42.4 when targeted according to Pro Football Reference. Those are elite numbers and deserve to be included in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation.

Watt, on the other hand, has 33 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 6.5 sacks and four forced fumbles. As he always has, he has taken over games. This year it is clearer than ever how much attention he is receiving. His 6.5 sacks in eight games is impressive, but low by Watt’s high standards. The reason is that teams pay so much attention to him and pay out to stop him. Despite this, Watt is still producing, and when he’s not getting sacks, he’s generating turnovers like the two forced fumbles he had against the Las Vegas Raiders.

It’s fair that both McKinney and Watt are currently splitting the prize. Watt earned Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2023, but didn’t win it until 2021. He’ll be aiming to finally get his well-deserved second-place finish, but to do that he’ll need to increase his sack numbers. As last year showed, sacks don’t mean everything, but if Watt can finish in the top three in sacks (he’s currently seventh), it will help matters.

Even if Watt doesn’t win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year, it’s clear how big of an impact he has on the Steelers. Despite injuries to fellow EDGE rushers Alex Highsmith and Nick Herbig, Watt was still able to anchor the pass rush in their absence and help the Steelers to a 6-2 record. He is the Steelers Defensive Player of the Year, just like every year, and if he keeps up this level, the Steelers can do the one thing Watt has yet to experience. A playoff win and run.