T.J. Watt was voted the NFL's best defensive player last season but the Pittsburgh Steelers' pass-rushing demon still feels he has a long way to go before being considered the greatest player in his own family.
Speaking to former NFL linebacker Channing Crowder on The Pivot podcast, Watt said his accomplishments – which include tying a league record for sacks in a season in 2021 – still pale in comparison to those of his older brother J.J., a three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year award recipient.
Though his most recent seasons have often been marred by injuries, J.J. Watt became the first player in NFL history to earn Defensive Player of the Year honours three times in a four-year span when he did so in 2012, 2014 and 2015. That feat has since been matched by Los Angeles Rams superstar Aaron Donald, whose run was ended by the younger Watt's superlative 2021 campaign in which he recorded 22.5 sacks.
"I want people to understand how great my brother truly was in his prime," T.J. Watt said. "I think it gets lost today, and I know he'd be upset if I said this, but I think it truly is. You go back, and you look, you watch the film, the guy was frickin' unstoppable. Absolutely unstoppable.
"I think I'm too early in my career to compare myself to him at the moment, honestly."
T.J. Watt does compare favourably with his sibling in at least one important category, as his 72 career sacks are the third most in league history of any player through his first five seasons since sacks became an official statistic in 1982.
J.J. Watt ranks second on that list with 74.5, trailing only Hall of Famer Reggie White's 81.
The elder Watt, now a member of the Arizona Cardinals after spending 10 of his first 11 seasons with the Houston Texans, has recorded only one double-digit sack season since 2016 – mainly because he has had trouble staying on the field. The 33-year-old has been limited to eight games or fewer four times in that six-year stretch.
"I think people need to go back and look at that," T.J. Watt said about his brother's past dominance. "The guy was doing incredible things for four or five years, and I think he can still play at a high level."
T.J. Watt enters this season with a chance to make some history of his own after producing at least 13 sacks in each of the last four years. The only player with a streak that long since 1982 is White, who did it from 1985-88 and again from 1990-93.
Dolphins to recruit quarterback after latest Tagovailoa concussion
Miami Dolphins coach Mike McDaniel has said the team will bring in another quarterback in the absence of Tua Tagovailoa.
Tagovailoa suffered a concussion in Thursday's 31-10 loss to the Buffalo Bulls in the third quarter, the third of his career with all of them occurring in the past 24 months.
The 26-year-old was 17-for-25 passing for 145 yards against the Bills, with one touchdown and three interceptions, one of which was returned for a Buffalo score, before he got hurt.
Until they can bring in a new recruit, Skylar Thompson will be considered the Dolphins' starter, and McDaniel believes he can perform well in the absence of his main man.
He said: "The team and the organisation are very confident in Skylar."
McDaniel was unsure about whether to place Tagovailoa on injured reserve, suggesting his chances of featuring in their next match against the Seattle Seahawks on September 22nd were very slim.
"I have no idea, and I'm not going to all of a sudden start making decisions that I don't even see myself involved in the most important parts of!" McDaniel said.
"There won't be any talk about where we're going in that regard, none of that will happen without doctors' expertise and the actual player."
Thompson feels ready to step up in Tagovailoa's absence and be an important member of the side for the foreseeable future.
He said: "I feel like I'm ready for whatever's to come. I'm going to prepare and work hard and do everything I can to lead this team and do my job."
Dolphins team-mate Jackson 'crushed' as Tagovailoa suffers another concussion
Miami Dolphins offensive lineman Austin Jackson said he was "crushed" after seeing Tua Tagovailoa suffer another concussion in Thursday's loss to the Buffalo Bills.
The Dolphins were beaten 31-10 at Hard Rock Stadium, with Tagovailoa throwing for 145 yards, one touchdown and three interceptions before his third-quarter exit.
Tagovailoa collided with Bills defensive back Damar Hamlin on a fourth-down keeper before hitting the back of his head on the turf, staying down for two minutes as several Dolphins players crowded around him.
The quarterback was able to walk to the locker room but was swiftly ruled out as Skylar Thompson finished the game in his place, throwing for 80 yards and no scores.
Tagovailoa previously suffered two concussions during the 2022 season, when the NFL and NFLPA opened a joint investigation into how one of Tagovailoa's injuries was handled.
Asked about the mood in the Miami locker room after the game, Jackson said: "Crushed. I hate to see him like that. Even with his history already with that type of stuff, I hate to see it.
"I hate that it was him rushing out of the pocket. Wish I could get that back for all of us. I could have been better."
Tagovailoa previously missed two games after being concussed in a 2022 game versus the Cincinnati Bengals, then was shut down for the rest of the season when he sustained another concussion in a Christmas Day meeting with the Green Bay Packers.
Coach Mike McDaniel was in no mood to think about the timeline of his recovery after the game, saying: "Right now it is more about getting a proper procedural evaluation tomorrow and taking it one day at a time.
"The furthest thing from my mind is what the timeline is. We just need to evaluate him and I just worry about my team-mate.
"We'll get more information tomorrow and then take it day by day from there."
McDaniel added Tagovailoa's past head injuries will not inform the way Miami handle his latest blow, saying: "I think it's important to approach each and every situation with the mindset of, 'we're going to handle this particular situation with this particular player'.
"Every situation is unique. I am not worried about anything that's out of my hands, I'm just worried about the human being, and he'll drive the ship when we get the appropriate information. But it's day-by-day health, particularly with concussions."
Dolphins' Tagovailoa throws three picks before leaving with concussion in Bills' rout
Tua Tagovailoa threw three interceptions before leaving with a concussion and James Cook had three touchdowns as the Buffalo Bills rolled to a 31-10 rout of the Miami Dolphins on Thursday night.
Tagovailoa, who has a history of dealing with head injuries, collided with Bills defensive back Demar Hamlin in the third quarter on a fourth-down keeper and hit the back of his head against the turf.
He remained down for about two minutes before getting to his feet and walking to the sideline. Tagovailoa made his way to the tunnel not long afterward, looking into the stands, appeared to smile and departed for the Dolphins' locker room.
The Dolphins needed almost no time before announcing it was a concussion.
Tagovailoa positioned himself for a big pay bump with an injury-free and productive 2023. He threw for 29 touchdowns and a league-best 4,624 yards.
Cook caught a 17-yard touchdown pass from Josh Allen and scored on runs of 1 and 49 yards in the first half, flipping into the end zone when he gave the Bills a 24-7 lead.
Allen, playing with a glove on his left non-throwing hand after hurting it in Buffalo's opener, completed 13 of 19 passes for 139 yards. He's 12-2 against the Dolphins and the Bills are 14-2 against Miami since coach Sean McDermott’s first year as head coach in 2017.
Miami’s star receiver Tyreek Hill was held to three catches for 24 yards during a week in which he dominated national headlines.
Hill was pulled from his sports car by Miami-Dade County police officers, pushed face-first onto a street and handcuffed during a traffic stop outside the Dolphins’ home stadium hours before their season opener.
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