Last season was forgettable for Pittsburgh Steelers edge defender T.J. Watt. We always wrote off most of his struggles on former defensive coordinator Teryl Austin and his inability to coach. This gave us hope that when new head coach Mike McCarthy would get him on track with the addition of new defensive coordinator Patrick Graham.
One week into the 2026 season and it seems like things are going according to plan. Against the Atlanta Falcons in Week One, Watt had four tackles, two sacks, one interception and one touchdown. In fact, it was Watt's pick-six that turned out to be the game-winner for the Steelers.
Watt's performance earned him the highest grade of any edge defender in the NFL according to Pro Football Focus.
2 Sacks 2 Hurries INT TD
T.J. Watt was an absolute MENACE for the @steelers on Sunday pic.twitter.com/8jGLOVmqlH
— PFF (@PFF) September 14, 2026
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This article originally appeared on Steelers Wire: Steelers EDGE T.J. Watt highest-graded edge defender in Week One
