Pittsburgh Steelers first-team All-Pro edge rusher T.J. Watt expressed his desire to play for head coach Mike Tomlin amid uncertainty about Tomlin’s future.
Watt agreed with defensive lineman Cameron Heyward, who also said that he would not want to play for any other coach in an article from Steelers.com.
“Every player wouldn’t be anything without Mike T,” Heyward said. “This group would not function to even get to a playoff berth without Mike T. He keeps us accountable from top to bottom and I don’t want to play for any other coach.”
Watt shared a similar sentiment in an article from Pro Football Talk. Heyward and Watt were drafted in 2011 and 2017, respectively. Both of them have spent their entire NFL careers under Tomlin.
“I want to play for Mike T,” Watt said, via video from Mike DeFabo of TheAthletic.com. “It was huge in my contract talks is I don’t want to play for anyone other than Mike T. You guys understand and see in the way I talk about how much I respect and appreciate him as a coach, as a man, as a leader. That’s my endorsement for him.”
Despite speculation about the departure of Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin, he has informed the team that he is staying
Tomlin was asked about his future with the Steelers following their 31-17 loss to the Buffalo Bills. Upon being asked, Tomlin swiftly left the podium and exited the room without answering the question.
Steelers Mike Tomlin Walks out of interview after talks of his contract. pic.twitter.com/zVEK7cVmKL
— House of trophies (@HOTofficals) January 16, 2024
Tomlin was given a three-year contract extension in 2021, which means that 2024 is the last year of his contract. Tomlin informed the team that speculation about him stepping away is unfounded, and he plans on coaching the team in 2024, according to NFL Network’s Mike Garafolo.
Tomlin’s 17 straight winning seasons with the Steelers is among one of the longest streaks in NFL history. The longest-tenured active head coach in the league is only behind former New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick and Dallas Cowboys legend Tom Landry when it comes to consecutive winning seasons.
Pittsburgh Steelers edge rusher T.J. Watt is one of the team’s best players, and likely represents how the majority of the team feels about head coach Mike Tomlin
Watt was a first-team All-Pro selection this season, and it was the fourth All-Pro selection of his career. He led the league with 19 sacks.
Outside of his rookie year, Watt has had at least 13 sacks in every year in which he played at least 15 games. Watt tied the record for the most sacks in a season with 22.5 in 2021. He and New York Giants legend Michael Strahan jointly hold the record.
Watt is a game-wrecker on defense, and his absence was noticeable in the wild card matchup with the Bills. Watt commands a lot of attention, and he makes life for opposing quarterbacks difficult with the quick pressure he brings.
T.J. Watt vs. James Hudson in 2021 pic.twitter.com/e2mYCwosJD https://t.co/irLZv1es4S
— Tyler Wise (@TriggeredWise) November 15, 2023
T.J. WATT IS NOW THE STEELERS ALL-TIME SACK LEADER 🤯
(via @NFL)
pic.twitter.com/SXtIxhwTQl— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 19, 2023
🔥How T.J. Watt ghost rushes
Step #1 Grab green grass
A great get off disrupts the mechanics of your opponent and gives you the advantage when pass rushing.
So, “grab green grass” and gain as much distance as you can with your first step.
Step 2: Threaten your opponent
For… pic.twitter.com/iLVp7ZA3bO
— Craig Roh (@craigroh) January 11, 2024
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