Steelers OLB T.J. Watt Named AFC Defensive Player of the Week for Third Time This Season

Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt has been named the AFC Defensive Player of the Week for the third time this season, the NFL announced on Wednesday.

Watt had three sacks in the Steelers’ 26-14 win over the Cleveland Brows on Monday, which gave him 21.5 sacks on the season. 

Watt is the fifth player in NFL history to record more than 21 sacks in a season and is one sack away from tying Michael Strahan’s single-season record of 22.5, with one game to play.

Jared Allen (2011), Mark Gastineau (1984) and Justin Houston (2014) have all recorded 22-sack seasons.

Watt also had five total tackles, three tackles for loss and batted down two passes in the win over the Browns.

He was also named player of the week in Week 13 and Week 6 this season and won the award in 2020 once and twice in 2018. His six total times honored is second in Steelers history behind Troy Polamalu, who won the award seven times.