NFL Defensive Player of the Year: T.J. Watt honorable mention in 2021

The NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award has eluded T.J. Watt thus far. According to PFF’s lead NFL analyst, Sam Monson, the status quo remains the same in 2021.

What does T.J. Watt have to do to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award?

The younger brother of J.J. Watt, one of the NFL’s greatest pass rushers, T.J. Watt broke out from behind his brother’s shadow in 2018. In his sophomore campaign, Watt terrorized his way to 13.0 sacks and six forced fumbles. He was a young star, but not quite a candidate to be named the NFL’s best defensive player.

In 2019, Watt made his case. He upped his sacks to 14.5 and forced fumbles to eight, leading the way in the AFC in both categories. He even picked off two passes, showcasing his athleticism. In addition, he was voted the first defensive player to win MVP of the Pittsburgh Steelers since Troy Polamalu. Still, these accolades weren’t enough to win him the defensive player of the year award. Watt finished third in voting, behind Arizona Cardinals defensive end Chandler Jones and the winner, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Last season, Watt posted a career-high in sacks with 15.0. Impressively, he led the league in sacks, as well as tackles for loss (23) and quarterback hits (41). Still, it wasn’t enough for him to win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award. Monson’s selection, Aaron Donald, beat out Watt in a landslide — leaving Watt’s tally as a bronze medal in 2019, silver in 2020.

Can T.J. Watt finally win the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in 2021?

As you can see, the signs point to T.J. Watt taking another step forward in 2021. Finally, it may be enough to dethrone the vaunted Aaron Donald. Watt’s consistently improved each year he’s been in the NFL, and falling short of the recognition that comes with winning the award may be what sets him over the edge.

Following the announcement of Donald’s victory last February, Watt took to Twitter to share his feelings. He summed it up with one picture, a photo of the greatest athlete of all time. It was a still from The Last Dance of Michael Jordan, staring into the camera, and the caption said all that Watt needed to say.

“… And I took that personally.”

T.J. Watt is a sensational player, but now he’s a sensational player who’s pissed off. Donald is a safe bet to win the award, as Monson explains the Los Angeles Rams’ defensive star has never earned a PFF grade below 90.0 to rationalizing his selection. Still, Watt is out to take a sledgehammer to the status quo in 2021.