The Steelers selected J.J. Watt’s little brother in the first round of this year’s draft, and the sooner he stops being known as J.J. Watt’s little brother, the better.
Steelers General Manager Kevin Colbert said today on PFT Live that T.J. Watt was drafted to be his own player, and that while the Steelers see it as a positive that he trains in the offseason with one of the best players in the NFL, they drafted him to be T.J., not J.J.
“They do share that same work ethic, that’s nothing but a positive,” Colbert said of the Watt family. “But make no mistake, T.J., I mean, he’s proud of his name, he loves his brothers, but he wants to be known more as T.J. than he does as a Watt. We’re aware of it, we appreciate it, we respect where he’s from, but he and us are eager to see him make his own name.”
It would be virtually impossible for T.J. to become as good a player as his big brother, but the Steelers aren’t setting expectations nearly that high. They just want another good Watt in the NFL.