For elite NFL pass rushers, uncalled holding penalties are often an unwritten tax on greatness. Pittsburgh Steelers star edge rusher T.J. Watt is no stranger to this dynamic, frequently battling heavy contact and unflagged obstruction from offensive linemen struggling to keep him away from the quarterback.
Second-year edge rusher Jack Sawyer recently addressed the ongoing narrative surrounding Watt’s relentless pass-rush impact. When asked directly about the frequent holding and the many non-calls involving the former Defensive Player of the Year, Sawyer candidly noted that holding is often an offensive lineman's best tactical response.
In a video shared by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, Sawyer was asked what it’s like to see Watt held so frequently
and how it feels when it's not flagged.
“Yeah, I mean there's really only a couple ways you can block T.J. So holding is always a good option for the offensive lineman. But it is what it is. You know, he knows it's going to happen. You know, when you're putting pressure on the offensive line, and you're getting pressure, and you're getting back there, I mean, they're going to hold you to try to prevent you from doing that.
“So, that's something we know we're going to have to play through and he knows I mean he's been he's dealt with it his whole career, and we know that the calls will come. And whether they're holdings or not, but we know that, you know, we keep applying the pressure that we've been applying the last couple weeks that, you know, the sacks and the holdings and all that's going to come. They come in bunches. So, I just got to stay with it.”
Sawyer's perspective illustrates the pragmatic mindset within the Pittsburgh locker room. Rather than getting sidetracked by officiating decisions, the Steelers view non-calls as validation of Watt's game-disrupting talent. As long as the defensive front sustains its aggressive pressure, the team remains confident that game-changing sacks and penalty flags will naturally follow.
This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers teammate explains why opponents keep holding T.J. Watt
