T. J. Watt

Trent Jordan Watt (born October 11, 1994) is an American professional football outside linebacker for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Wisconsin Badgers for four years. After redshirting his freshman year, Watt injured his knee in his sophomore year, keeping him out until the 2015 season. Watt broke out in 2016, recording 11.5 sacks and receiving various collegiate honors. After foregoing his last year of college eligibility, Watt was selected by the Steelers in the first round of the 2017 NFL draft.

Watt played in at least 15 games each of his first five seasons with the Steelers, before injuries limited him to 10 games in 2022. In 2021, he recorded 22.5 sacks to match the single-season NFL record set by Michael Strahan in 2001, surpassed by Myles Garrett in 2025. Watt became the second fastest player in NFL history to record 100 sacks, behind Reggie White. He was a finalist for the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award five times (2019–2021, 2023, 2024), winning in 2021. He is the younger brother of three-time NFL Defensive Player of the Year J. J. Watt and former fullback Derek Watt.