T.J. Watt Makes Clear Steelers' Playoffs Struggles are Not 'For Lack of Effort'

The Pittsburgh Steelers haven't won a playoff game since 2016, which means linebacker T.J. Watt, who joined the franchise eight seasons ago, hasn't either.

The Steelers have a chance to turn their postseason misfortune around with a win against the Baltimore Ravens on Saturday night, but just as they did last year, they'll be entering the contest as heavy underdogs. And 30-year-old Watt—a former defensive player of the year and one of Pittsburgh's greatest weapons—is on a ticking clock.

“It is what it is. It’s my story," Watt said Thursday when asked about his lack of a postseason dub. "Since I’ve been here, I haven’t won a playoff game. Been saying it this whole season. You guys know how important this is to me. ... But if we've learned anything about these last four weeks, it doesn't matter how well you prepare or how good you feel about your preparation if you don't execute on game day."

Every football players enter the NFL with dreams of a Super Bowl ring. And for the Steelers, one of the two winningest franchises, those dreams should in theory feel more attainable than they do elsewhere in the league. But Pittsburgh hasn't made a Super Bowl appearance since 2011. That's not lost on Watt, who also made clear in his comments Thursday that every guy in the locker room is after that, even if the win-loss record doesn't show it.

"There's a big difference between guys that come back that are Super Bowl champions and guys that aren't. That's not a slight on the guys that aren't. I'm one of those guys right now. But there's definitely an aura and a sense to a guy that has won a Super Bowl," he said, per The Athletic's Mike DeFabo.

"We want that. Every guy in here wants that. Don't confuse any of this lack of success for lack of effort. Everybody's trying. We're turning over every stone we possibly can to be great."

Really good stuff here from T.J. Watt on chasing greatness in an organization that has won six Super Bowls: pic.twitter.com/S0lUDqcaOX
— Mike DeFabo (@MikeDeFabo) January 9, 2025

The comments serve as a well-timed reminder that players are just as hungry for these wins and titles as fans, and are doing everything they can to pull it off. For the Steelers, the first step is beating the Ravens. They can think about everything else after that.